Introduction
reviewed by
The Volvo S80 is fast, comfortable and roomy. Big and luxurious, it rides nice around town. Stand on the gas and it accelerates with authority and tracks straight as an arrow at high speeds. Volvo's flagship luxury sedan is a worthy competitor to comparably sized luxury sedans from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, Acura, and Cadillac.
For 2010, Volvo S80 sports a bolder grille design and more bright jewelry inside and out. A new steering wheel features silk-matte metal accents on its four spokes, matching the new leather and silk-metal trim on the gear selector and around Volvo's signature ultra-slim floating center stack. It's all very tastefully done and enhances the appeal. Volvo engineers have modified the base-level suspension on the 2010 S80 for a greater emphasis on handling. The Dynamic Chassis option offers crisper response via shorter and firmer springs, modified shock damping, firmer anti-roll bars and stiffer subframe bushings.
The S80 offers a choice of engines, headlined by a 4.4-liter V8 built by Yamaha. The 311-horsepower V8 sounds like a Corvette engine when it first starts up then settles to a smooth idle. It's smooth and creamy when cruising and very responsive. At high speeds the S80 V8 is quiet and smooth. The V8 develops 311 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. It can accelerate 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds, an impressive performance, with top speed electronically limited to 155 mph. All-wheel drive comes standard and where the V8 really shines is in foul weather.
Steering effort and chassis settings are adjustable, allowing the driver to set the chassis for smooth, soft sailing or taut control for more responsive handling. We found the S80 handles quite well for a large luxury car.
The S80 T6 comes with a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 and all-wheel drive. The six-cylinder turbo produces 281 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The base S80 comes with a 3.2-liter six-cylinder and front-wheel drive, and it can sprint to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds.
Inside is a sumptuous cabin with comfortable seats, sophisticated audio, and an available navigation system. Optional adaptive cruise control allows the driver to maintain set following distances with the cars ahead: the system will accelerate or slow the car as needed. The S80 is loaded with safety equipment, from its protective structure to its state-of-the-art active and passive safety features.
We think the S80 is the best car overall ever to come out of Sweden: slick, modern, pretty but understated, quick and powerful. It's relatively sporty and there aren't any rough edges on this package anywhere.
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