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Claudia Hommel
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Cordell Koland
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Weekly Reviews
 2007 Volvo S80 by Cordell Koland LAS VEGAS, NV – Nov. 7, 2006. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” I’m going to courageously break that rule and give you the whole story. The scene is the North American roll out of the all-new Volvo S80 luxury sedan. Yes, I share your surprise that buttoned-up, oh-so-proper Volvo would call the press to Sin City. What’s next? Nancy Pelosi as the National Rifle Association’s “Woman of the Year” or George Bush headlining a fund-raiser for MoveOn.org. Volvo apparently wants us to rethink our understanding of their brand. Not only is the Volvo press event being held in Vegas, but also they’ve coined a new term: Scandinavian Luxury—an oxymoron to be sure. It’s hard to visualize this concept from the simple, hardy Nordics whose diet consists mostly of raw fish, strong black coffee and Rye Crisp, and who bake their bodies in an oven to 150 degrees, then jump in the snow and beat themselves silly with tree branches. That’s not all. The new S80 offers an optional 311-horsepower V-8 engine that doesn’t exactly sip gasoline. Volvo started out in the U.S. by offering only frugal four-cylinder engines. Then Volvo went to five cylinders, then six and now they’re at eight cylinders—and on a slippery slope to moral decadence. Given this trend, I suspect that somewhere in a secret lab under the North Pole, there’s a mad bunch of Swedish engineers building a 500-horsepower V-12. Now back to reality. While it’s obvious that Volvo has set out to revise our mindset about their brand, most of its heritage is still intact. As for Scandinavian Luxury, a Volvo spokesperson defined the concept as understated elegance, hardly earthshaking but certainly in line with the company’s current direction. The understatement begins with the exterior design of the new S80, which is pretty much like its immediate predecessor, although according to the company every part is new. The car is a tiny bit larger with a longer wheelbase for better ride and handling. The interior is tastefully bland with above average ergonomics. This means that the controls in the center console are easy to recognize and use. Seat time at the press intro was quite limited, but I got to drive both the six- and eight-cylinder models. On the road the S80 is very quiet. The ride quality is excellent. Handling isn’t quite up to such competitors as the BMW 5-Series, but then Volvo is not billing the S80 as a sports sedan. I would also give Volvo’s braking system the highest marks. The brakes were not only highly effective, but the modulation is the best in my experience. Modulation is the sensation that for a given amount of foot pressure, you get a given amount of stopping power, not more or less. Volvo’s leadership in areas of vehicle and passenger safety takes an even higher profile in the new S80. Safety has become a major preoccupation in the industry, so Volvo’s been working overtime to stay in front. Volvo already features the full range of air bags, so the new development is a side-impact airbag with dual-chamber construction for enhanced hip and chest protection. Volvo has focused on structural elements as well. The front of the chassis has been divided into zones, each with a different task during the deformation process in a collision. The outer zones are responsible for most of the deformation. The closer the collision forces get to the passenger compartment, the less the material deforms. In addition, the dimensions of the transverse mounted engines are reduced to allow additional crumple space in the engine compartment. Volvo claims that its V-8 is the most compact engine in the industry in terms of power output divided by the physical space it occupies. The new S80 also offers a new level of personal security for people who need to park their cars in risky settings. An optional control module replaces the key fob and is capable of two-way communications. This means that as the driver approaches the car, he or she can tell whether the car is locked, whether the car alarm is activated and even if a person is in the car. The latter is determined by a sensitive heartbeat sensor in the car. All of this information is available within 300 feet of the vehicle. Perhaps the most important new safety feature is called BLIS. The Blind Spot Information System positions cameras near the outside mirrors to detect vehicles that might be in a blind spot and relay the information to the driver. I was surprised at how well this feature worked. Changing lanes on crowded fast-moving freeways can be dangerous, particularly as more automobiles seem to be designed with increasingly limited rear-view visibility. BLIS can deliver piece of mind and improved safety. Pricing for the new S80 looks competitive to say the least. The six-cylinder version lists at $38,705 and the V-8 model at $47,350. Destination charge is an additional $695 on each version. Note: This review is based on a press conference with European spec models.Therefore, I did not include the usual data box at the end of the column because that info was not available. -Cordell Koland ------- Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
