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Introduction

2010 Volvo S80

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.

Model Lineup

The 2010 Volvo S80 3.2 ($39,200) comes with a 235-hp 3.2-liter inline-6 and front-wheel drive. Standard are dual-zone automatic climate control with pollen filter; AM/FM/6CD/MP3 160-watt audio with eight speakers, auxiliary input, and USB connection; Bluetooth telephone interface; real wood trim; leather seats; leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescope steering wheel with audio and cruise controls; leather-wrapped shift knob; eight-way power front seats with memory for the driver; split folding rear seat; power windows; central power locking (including the fuel filler door) with remote keyless entry; power trunk release; power heated outside mirrors with memory; auto-dimming inside mirror; outside temperature gauge; four reading lamps; two 12-volt outlets; and 225/50R17 tires on 17-inch alloy wheels. Options include a power sunroof ($1,000) and 18-inch wheels with 245/40R18 tires ($750).

The S80 T6 AWD ($42,950) comes with a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 and all-wheel drive. The sunroof and 18-inch wheels come standard, along with an electric parking brake. The Dynamic Package ($1,400) upgrades to a sports suspension and xenon headlamps with Active Light Bending.

The Multimedia Package ($2,500) consists of a Dynaudio 650-watt, 12-speaker Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound system with Sirius Satellite radio, rear headphone jacks, rear audio controls, and HDD navigation with real-time traffic, remote control, and Map Care. The Executive Package ($2,950) gets upgraded wood trim, premium soft leather seats (ventilated in front, with massage), leather front center armrest, aluminum console storage cover, an analog clock in the center control panel, and 18-inch wheels for the 3.2. The Climate Package ($1,000) includes heated front and rear seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, high-pressure headlight washers, Rainsensor windshield wipers, Blueband IR-protected windshield, Interior Air Quality System (IAQS) and a humidity sensor. Stand-alone options include Volvo's Personal Car Communicator (PCC) with Keyless Drive ($550) and the xenon headlights ($800).

The S80 V8 AWD ($50,950) comes standard with the Multimedia and Executive packages, plus heated front seats, headlight washers, Blueband windshield, and speed-sensitive power steering. The Climate Package ($800) adds heated rear seats, heated washer nozzles, Interior Air Quality System and a humidity sensor. The rear-seat entertainment system ($1,800) features dual eight-inch screens integrated into the backs of the front-seat headrests. Dynamic Chassis ($500) stiffens the suspension and deletes the speed-sensitive power steering. A small refrigerator for the rear-seat area ($700) is available and comes stocked with a pair of two crystal glasses.

Safety equipment on all S80 models is world-class, starting with the patented body structure and including ABS with a sophisticated hydraulic brake assist, dynamic stability control, traction control, dual-threshold front airbags, dual-chamber side airbags (with one chamber for the hips and one for the chest), side-curtain airbags, next-generation WHIPS rear-impact protection, tire pressure monitor, and front and rear fog lights. All-wheel drive enhances safety in adverse conditions.

Volvo cites studies suggesting that up to 90 percent of all traffic accidents are caused by driver fatigue and/or distraction. Based on this finding, Volvo offers the Technology Package ($1,700), consisting of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Warning with Brake Support (CWAB), Distance Alert (DA), Driver Alert Control (DAC), and Lane Departure Warning (LDW). Also optional is the blind-spot information system, or BLIS ($700), that senses vehicles in the right and left blind spots and delivers a warning if there's something there.

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