Big and luxurious, the Volvo S80 is roomy and comfortable. It rides smoothly around town. And it's fast. 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.
The 2011 Volvo S80 models are more powerful than last year's versions. Both use six-cylinder engines.
The 2011 S80 3.2 delivers 240 horsepower, a slight increase over last year, while meeting stricter ULEV emissions standards. The S80 3.2 comes with a 3.2-liter six-cylinder and front-wheel drive. Volvo says it can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a respectable 7.4 seconds while the federal government says it gets 19/27 mpg City/Highway.
The 2011 S80 T6 AWD has been boosted to 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, a substantial increase over last year. The T6 comes with a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 and all-wheel drive, which can propel it from 0-60 in a very quick 6.3 seconds. The S80 T6 is EPA-rated at 18/26 mpg. The T6 Dynamic Package delivers crisper response with the sport chassis with shorter and firmer springs, modified shock damping, firmer anti-roll bars and stiffer subframe bushings.
The S80 is at its best hurtling down the highway where it's a stable, comfortable platform. It's quite fast. It handles winding roads well for a large luxury car.
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.
The current-generation version was launched as a 2007 model. For 2011, Sirius Satellite Radio comes standard. The V8 model has been discontinued.
The S80's center controls sit on a thin metal panel pioneered in the S40 compact sedan. Luxurious touches include optional real wood trim with a wood-accented steering wheel. The back bench has a standard 60/40-split folding function for increased cargo capacity. Interior features include:
- Standard leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter and brake handle
- Standard Bluetooth connectivity
- Optional moonroof
- Optional heated front and rear seats
- Optional ventilated front seats
- Available navigation system with real-time traffic info
Volvo says Scandinavian luxury is accessible, elegant and intelligent without being elitist. Volvo has shaken the boxy look it made famous by giving the S80 a curvier, sleeker appearance with a slightly sportier profile, yet still an unmistakably Volvo design. Exterior features include:
- Available 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels
- Standard power-operated heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals
- Optional rain-sensing windshield wipers
- Optional heated windshield-washer nozzles
- Optional headlight washers
- Optional xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights with articulating lenses
- Optional leather-covered dashboard
For 2011, Volvo cut back on the number of engine and drivetrain combinations available and is sticking with that plan for 2012. Mechanical features include:
- 240-horsepower, 3.2-liter six-cylinder (3.2)
- 300-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder (T6)
- Six-speed automatic transmission
- Front-wheel drive for 3.2, all-wheel drive for T6
Driving Impression
The Volvo S80 is a rock-solid sedan, a wonderful steed for covering large swaths of highway quickly and comfortably.Fuel economy for the base S80 with the 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive is an EPA-rated 19/27 mpg City/Highway.
The turbocharged T6 is rated 18/26 miles per gallon. Maximum torque with the turbo is on tap from just 1500 rpm and remains available all the way up the rev range.
At cruising speeds, we found the cabin quiet, with a bit of wind noise and a bit of tire noise coming in.
The Volvo chassis system underneath the S80 is an evolution of the 4C chassis, with adaptive shock absorbers changing second by second according to inputs from the road and the car itself. The system offers three different settings: Comfort, Sport, and Advanced.
The Dynamic chassis promises crisper response via shorter and firmer springs, modified shock damping, firmer anti-roll bars and stiffer subframe bushings.
We experienced the adaptive cruise control system, which worked as advertised to maintain our preset distance to the car ahead in the fast lane, and we heard and saw the collision warning system in action and preferred to turn it off when on the crowded two-lane roads.
reference:www.cars.com,autos.aol.com
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