2007 Volvo S80 First Drive

Volvo S80 – First Drive: Safety and security are no longer the sole provinces of Volvo. Several car companies with greater resources than Volvo’s cash-strapped parent, Ford, have co-opted these characteristics, and now the former Swedish automaker finds itself suffering an identity crisis. Furthermore, the rather small new S80 flagship isn’t much bigger or better than the less expensive S60, which itself isn’t much bigger or better than the entry-level S40. As a result, it’s difficult to see the value in, or purpose of, this new top-end Volvo. Aimed at the big guns in the luxury sedan class, the pricey 2007 Volvo S80 over-promises and under-delivers.

The Basics: Origins

Introduced in 1998, the sleek Volvo S80 replaced the boxy S90 and introduced the world to a new corporate design theme lauded by critics for its rakish roofline, bulging hood, and strong shoulder lines, making it one of the first Volvos that didn’t look like the box it came in. The S80 was also the rare Volvo model not offered in a station wagon variant. The completely redesigned 2007 Volvo S80 represents the first significant change to the car since it first debuted nearly a decade ago.

The Basics: Model Mix

Volvo S80 shoppers can choose between a new 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive and a 4.4-liter V8 engine with all-wheel drive. A full complement of safety features is standard, along with leather-upholstered power front seats and a sunroof. On either model, the really good stuff is optional. Three option packages – Sport, Audio, and Climate – can run the price tag up in a hurry. Other options include navigation, rear entertainment, parking assist, chrome wheels, and run-flat tires. Volvo also charges extra for metallic paint – bah. Adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot warning system, and a fancy keyless ignition system that can tell if the S80 has been locked are also available.

The Basics: Pricing

The Volvo S80’s window sticker is $39,400 including the $695 destination charge. Add the V8 engine and AWD system and plan to shell out $48,045 to start. Check off every option, and the S80 V8 AWD can run into the low $60,000 range. Ugh. The most expensive extras include the Sport Package ($2,495), navigation system ($2,120), rear entertainment system ($1,995), Audio Package ($1,550), chrome 18-inch wheels ($1,495), and adaptive cruise control ($1,495).

What’s New: Outside

Sized about the same as last year, the new Volvo S80 gets a longer wheelbase and wider track for a more athletic, planted look. Front overhang is excessive, but otherwise the S80 is a stylish and balanced automobile, taking the bold design themes established with the original and refining them. I disagree with critics who say the S80 is too derivative of the original, but I do think this new flagship should have been made larger to create more interior room and a more compelling value equation.

What’s New: Inside

Scandinavian luxury is the Volvo S80’s interior theme, where spare strips of wood bring warmth to an austere cabin. Adopted from the S40, the S80’s waterfall-style central panel aims to make common controls easy to find with secondary programmable features accessible through a menu display that, depending on the desired function, can be operated only when the car is stopped.

What’s New: Under the Hood

Powered by Volvo’s new 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine, the standard S80 makes 235 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 236 lb.-ft. of torque at a relatively low 3,200 rpm. The more expensive V8 model’s Yamaha-built 4.4-liter engine generates 311 horsepower at 5,950 rpm and 325 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,950 rpm. Both engines are connected to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode, and both require premium fuel. EPA fuel economy figures were not available when this was written. Six-cylinder models come with front-wheel drive, while V8 models are exclusively all-wheel drive.

What’s New: Safety and Technology

Volvo has upgraded the S80 to contemporary luxury car standards by adding Bluetooth, an amazing Dynaudio sound system, and active headlights that help to see around curves. Bigger news is the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS). BLIS warns the driver when other vehicles are located in adjacent lanes and are hidden within the S80’s blind spots. Volvo also offers Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Collision Warning and Brake Support. When S80s equipped with ACC approach other vehicles too fast, aural and visual warnings prompt the driver to brake. The brakes are also ready to deliver instant response when the driver depresses the pedal. Volvo has also updated its Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) and Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) for 2007.

Driving: Test Car and Location

Volvo invited us to Las Vegas to drive the new S80. Our test cars were European specification, equipped with metal strips of trim on the dashboard rather than the wood that will be standard on North American models, a parabolic driver’s side mirror, and kph displays. We drove the S80 3.2 the first half of the day and the S80 V8 AWD the second half of the day. The second half of the day was far more satisfying.

Driving: Performance

For a new engine displacing more than three liters, the standard inline six produces unimpressive power. Acceleration to 60 mph takes eight seconds, according to Volvo, but it feels like more from the driver’s seat. Cruising the Las Vegas strip, the six-speed transmission banged off crisp shifts that made the most of the 3.2-liter engine’s low torque peak, but on the open road the standard S80 ran out of steam when asked to climb hills or pass trucks. The V8 is a much better choice, and not just because it comes with AWD and gets to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. It sounds terrific, moves the S80 with authority at all times, and is better suited to flagship duty.

Driving: Ride and Handling

To convince as a luxury sedan, the Volvo S80 needs to be quieter inside and better isolated from the road when the Four-C adaptive suspension is set in “Comfort” mode. Also, Volvo lets the driver select steering effort levels through the central control menu, but even at its stiffest the steering is too light for energetic driving. Grip is decent, and the V8 AWD model rockets out of turns with verve, but this is no sport sedan. Volvo is proud of several brake system innovations, and they do, indeed, work like a charm, but unlike several European competitors the new S80 doesn’t include a brake drying system for rain-slicked roads.