In 1998, Volvo literally turned heads when they launched the highly curvaceous S80 sedan; not only did they nail sensibility on its head, but they did so with style too. This new design language, with the broad shoulders and coupe-like roofline, easily became the most recognizable trait of Volvo. Soon, it made the quirky Swedish luxury car brand more attractive to a broader and younger market. The consequent expansion to segments such as luxury hatchback and a full-sized sport utility vehicle reiterated this point even further. A full decade later, the trendsetting S80 soon gave birth to a second generation model. Is this new Volvo S80 as fashionable as its predecessor?
The best way to describe the new Volvo S80 is a move towards maturity. While the previous model paved the way towards a new design language for the automobile maker, the new S80 simply honed and refined it. The broad shoulders and coupe-like roofline are still there, but now the lines are cleaner and better integrated. It looks softer and much more feminine, and that’s quite fine actually. Volvo has always tipped the line of being sensible but luxurious, approachable but sophisticated much better than its German rivals. You can level the criticism that the new S80 looks too much like the previous model, but why fix if it isn’t broke?
The sweeping lines and carefully placed character creases do a lot to mask the S80’s true bulk. Despite looking somewhat compact, the S80 can actually go head-to-head with the Chrysler 300C in size. In effect, what’s essentially a German compact in price, nets you a full-sized car in terms of interior room. Upon sitting inside, this feeling of space is immediately apparent. In order to create the coupe-like roofline, the dash has been pushed toward the occupants further giving the illusion of expanse given the S80’s already long hood. Then there’s the dash design as well, which has been squared-off. Together with the S80’s wide body, it surely takes some stretching to reach the glove box from the driver’s seat. This is also true for those who sit at the back, which benefit from first-class knee and shoulder room.
Besides the interior room, the S80 also excels in both equipment and fit and finish. The S80 tested is the entry-level 2.5T model, which despite the ‘entry-level’ moniker, is actually nicely equipped for the price. First, the seats themselves are simply first-rate. They are wide, heavily bolstered and padded, like sitting on a Lazy-Boy but swathed in rich black leather. Plus, the front seats offer full power adjustment that accommodate all body shapes and sizes for the perfect driving position. And individual settings can be stored via the standard three-setting memory system. Next, though the dashboard lacks the panache of the tech-obsessed German cars, it is finished in soft plastics and inlayed with both aluminum and wood accents; the execution simply shames much more expensive rivals. Though the S80’s cabin is generally straightforward, there’s one bit of silly tech found here: the engine start/stop button.
Not so silly is Volvo’s IDIS or Intelligent Driver Information System. Though it does not have a single wheel or a large LCD to navigate through different menus and submenus, but it does not make it less intuitive. The important controls have been neatly separated on the center console such as the ventilation and the audio system. Volvo’s trademark of using a large pictogram to adjust the climate control is pretty straightforward. Want more air directed to the head or the legs? Simply press the appropriate body part. No need to go through submenus for that one. Want to adjust the stereo’s treble or bass settings? Simply press the button marked ‘Sound’. Only personalization settings which are adjusted once in a blue moon are buried in different submenus and even that it easy to decipher despite its less than flashy three-line monochromatic LCD screen and mobile phone inspired navigation scheme.
Driving excitement was never a strong suit of the S80, and the new one is no different. Great improvements have been realized, especially compared to the first-generation model, but it’s still no sports sedan. Though this car has the right ingredients for sportiness such as a turbocharged engine, independent suspension, standard 17-inch alloys and ventilated disc brakes on all four corners, the manner of tuning is slanted more towards comfort than anything else. The S80 easily wafts through all sorts of road imperfections, gliding through them as if they weren’t there. Thankfully, despite the highly soft sprung ride, the S80’s stiff body structure does not leave a boat-like sensation, making this car a worthy one for long distance drives. The steering does not give much driver feedback, but it is accurate and feather light to the touch. However, if the fingertip steering isn’t to your liking, there’s a driver adjustable steering force level in the IDIS menu, though any setting above normal already feels to artificial.
The 2.5T designation indicates that this S80 is powered by Volvo’s 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5. It’s a common engine found throughout the Volvo range and is largely carried over from the previous S80. With 200 peak horsepower and 300 Nm of torque, this engine is more of adequate rather than mind blowing fast considering the 1,490 kilogram curb weight it has to pull. Plus, the engine never makes itself known because of the amount of sound deadening used. Which is just as well, since the inline-5 engine is never known to give a visceral sound. At standstill, the S80 2.5T won’t find it difficult to keep up with traffic since the turbo begins to spool from as little as 1,500 rpm. The quick shifting and unobtrusive 6-speed automatic keeps up, though at higher speeds the S80 will begin to lose steam.
At the end of the day, you can’t talk about Volvos without mentioning the safety features, and even the entry-level S80 is full of it. Eight airbags including the Inflatable Curtain (IC), anti-whiplash seats (WHIPS) and side-impact protection (SIPS) are all standard. Also standard, are active bi-xenon headlamps, rain-sensing wipers and DSTC (Dynamic Stability Traction Control). In fact, the only thing missing is BLIS or the Blind Spot Information System, which is available only the V8-powered S80.
Despite the Volvo S80’s less than exciting driving experience, it is still one solid and sensible luxury sedan worthy of the world stage. The latest automobile from this Swedish manufacturer manages to combine sensibility and safety into one sexy and glitzy package. Although Volvo could have easily created their own version of the sports sedan, it knew that the S80 experience isn’t about how easily it gripped through corners or how fast it could lap the Nurburgring. The S80 experience is all about being pampered in comfort and luxury, while still being affordable and practical at the same time. The new Volvo S80 simply builds upon the first-generation’s strengths and minimizes its weaknesses. The S80 may not be as trendsetting as before, but it is filled with tweaks and features which still make it one good luxury sedan.
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