Volvo, Latin for "I roll,” entered the automotive world in 1927 when the "Jakob," Volvo’s first car, left the factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo’s founders, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson, based the company’s engineering on quality and safety, and over the next 80 years, the company has gained a reputation for building cars that are safe and never break. They also were known for building boxy cars short on angular architecture.
The introduction of their flagship S80 (Volvo letter delineations are: S = sedan; V = Versatility and C = Coupe or convertible) in 1998, the first car to be built on Volvo's new large platform continued to follow the safety-quality edict, but also tore away at the boxy epithet. Style was beginning to be added to the substance and the Swedish car builder was emerging as a new style and luxury player in the sedan niche.
The new 2007 Volvo S80 represents another step up the evolutionary style ladder while doing nothing to tarnish the quality-safety manifest. A completely new version of the company’s flagship, the ’07 S80 combines elegance, fit, finish, hip design cues, power and performance. The second-generation S80 is a packaged driving experience enhanced by user-friendly technology in an atmosphere of Scandinavian luxury.
Round and lavish in design, the S80 is 58.8 inches high and 73.3 inches wide, with a length of 191 inches on a 111.6-inch wheelbase. At 4016 lbs., this is a Volvo safety machine in its earned sense.
To propel this two-ton luxury sedan, Volvo elected to speak Scandinavian power with a Japanese accent. A new, sophisticated V-8 engine, the first for a Volvo sedan, is a 4.4-liter workhorse built by Yamaha. Mated to a Geartronic 6-speed automatic with adaptive shift logic, the throaty mill has variable-valve timing and thunders out 311hp and 325 lbs.-ft. of torque. The thrust allows the S80 to glide from zero-to-60 in an unexpectedly quick 6.5 seconds, while the ecologically attuned Volvovians have made certain the engine can meet the stringent ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV II) emissions standards.
EPA rated at 17mpg/city and 25mpg/highway, my seven days of cars tests throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland countrysides, test tracks and city streets yielded an average of 20.4 mpg.
Around town and across highway roads and mountain passes, there is acceleration when you need it and stability and a low center of gravity on all venues. Slalom tests revealed some understeer, and at times the rear wiggled in tight turns at high speed, but the S80’s All-Wheel Drive with Instant Traction™ smoothes out bumps, water and irregular roads, and the two suspension modes -- Comfort and Sport suspension—allow you to either feel every pavement nuance as you would in a race track setting, or enjoy the smooth ride of a luxury car.
Driving is not a driver vs. the elements situation anymore. High-tech has taken over and Volvo utilizes cutting-edge advancements. Turn on cruise control and you get adaptive cruise control that uses a radar sensor to measure the distance to vehicles ahead and automatically adjusts vehicle speed. Collision warning with brake support works in concert with the system, alerting the driver and, when the driver depresses the pedal, applying full brake force if needed. The Blind Spot Information System is another new high-tech option. Cameras near the outside mirrors detect vehicles that might be in a blind spot and relay the information to the driver.
The Volvo cabin is a Scandinavian tribute to pampering the occupants. Roominess abounds with headroom of 37.8 inches up front and 38.3 in row two, legroom of 41.9 and 35.0 and shoulder room of 57.4 and 56.3. Way in the back, the trunk has a whopping 14.9 cubic-feet of cargo capacity
From the real wood inlays to the ergonomic center console and dash, to the premium leather seating surfaces, the S80’s cabin takes no deviation form its luxury course. A power driver’s seat with memory, power front passenger seat and power moonroof are among the list of standard accouterments. Also included are a high-performance sound system with 6-disc in-dash CD player, auxiliary input, MP3 capability, a 160-watt amplifier and eight speakers. My test vehicle’s option choices included an audio package with premium Dynaudio sound system with 6-disc CD changer, a 650-watt amplifier, Dolby Pro-Logic II Surround Sound,12 speakers and Sirius™ Satellite Radio.
The climate package option added heated front seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, rain sensing wipers and high-pressure headlight cleaning.
The Volvo S80 carries an importer’s suggested list price of $47,350. My test vehicle was optioned to the hilt with premier electric silver metallic paint at $625;
Sport/Zubra package for $2495 that included 18-inch wheels, ventilated seats high-performance tires; blind spot information system for $595; climate package for $725; audio package for $1550; adaptive cruise control for $1495; personal car communicator for $495 and destination charges of $695. That took the bottom line to $56,025, a luxury price for a very luxury vehicle with Scandinavian styling and a Japanese engine.
Volvo has remained constant in quality and safety and has come a long way in style and power.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
Related Items:
