Any newer car, even a small car, will be safer than the older Volvo. Crash test ratings changed recently so even 5 star cars from a few years ago aren't as safe as 5 star cars of today. Here's a link to the NHTSA web site that allows you to compare vehicles' safety.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/ratings#vehicle_compare_1990
When my kids did driver's ed the teacher was a retired state trooper and he was a big advocate of the Ford Taurus. It's in the sweet spot for safety, cost and reliability. For what it's worth, a 2000 Ford Taurus is almost as safe as a 2000 Volvo S70 and a 1993 Volvo 240 is almost as safe as the 2000 Taurus. My thoughts are that a kid's first car should be safe, reliable, easy to drive, cheap and slow. And yes, ABS breaks and all around airbags are absolute minimal requirements.