Volvo S80: Elegance on four wheels

Some cars are built for a person to drive, others are built for a person to ride. When our friends at Viking Cars Incorporated, local distributors of Volvo automobiles, gave us a call to test drive their flagship model, the Volvo S80, we knew at once that we were going to come face to face with a car we would enjoy riding — but just couldn’t resist driving.

And so there she was, in all her splendid burgundy glory (the test unit’s color which fortunately, was my favorite shade of S80), mine for the taking. God, she was pretty! The Volvo S80 is without a doubt the best looking sedan to come out of the stables of the Swedish auto maker in a long, long time. Gone are the days — and the reputation — when the Volvo was considered the safest "box on wheels". The car is at once sleek and elegant, with stylish, flowing lines that extend from the fascia down to the rear end — that now distinct Volvo "shoulder" made even more prominent and bewitching. You could say that next to their supermodels, the S80 is perhaps the sexiest thing to come out of Sweden. But despite all the obviously captivating curves, the S80 still maintains a distinct air of elegance.

To give you an idea of how refinement takes a front seat when describing the Volvo S80, here’s a short list of the makes and models it competes against (at least what’s available in the local market) — the BMW 5 Series, the Mercedes Benz E-Class, the Audi A6 and the Jaguar S-Type. That’s some pretty distinctive company — and the S80 fits right smack into this exclusive clique.

Inside, the S80 takes its elegant tag a step further with plush leather upholstery, the mere whiff of which conjures up images of sleek modern embellishment — kind of like a stiff yet still homey European designed living room package that smells absolutely expensive. New instrumentation with a comprehensive driver information display immediately greet the driver with the power adjustable driver seat, an auto-dim rearview mirror and a rear window demister insinuating a greater sense of consideration and attention given to the driver (despite the obvious fact that this is one car meant to address the needs of the chauffeur-driven market). An in-dash CD player coupled with an eight loudspeaker system (which is also fitted with a 10 disc changer) can easily maximize the drama of a neo-classical piece like Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (no kidding — we tried it). Cup holders, reading lamps, illuminated vanity mirrors and a cabin pollen filter round out the interior amenities that spoil any of the S80’s intended passengers.

The unit we were leant was powered by a 2-liter, 5-cylinder light pressure turbo engine with intercooler, which at first seemed a bit hard-pressed to provide drop-dead, speed-demon like acceleration to a body as sturdy as the S80’s, but would later prove itself powerful enough to provide a smooth ride on open roads. Volvo S80 fans will be pleased to know, however, that the 2.9-liter, 6-cylinder twin turbo version, which can accelerate with the best of them, is also available in the Philippine market. The S80’s braking system proves itself more than adequate with a 4-channel ABS with EBD configuration. Also, a suspension system (front and rear) with MacPherson struts, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, stabilizer bar, and multi-link independent suspension, ensures smooth driving whether one regularly traverses the pothole-infested streets of the metro or well-paved highways like the Skyway — a far cry from the usual complaint made on the entry level S40 (which has an admittedly stiffer ride than the top-of-the-line S80).

Ah, but what would a discussion of Volvo’s flagship model be without a listing (not short, mind you) of its safety features? Through the years, Volvo has earned a reputation for coming up with some of the safest automobiles to be produced for the mass market — and rightfully so. The S80 is fitted with a collapsible steering column, driver and front passenger airbags, inflatable side curtains, side impact protections system (SIPS), side impact airbags (SIPS Bags), 3-point inertia reels with auto pretentioners for all five seats, whiplash protection seating system (WHIPS), anti-submarine seats, ISO-FIX baby/child seat attachment, illuminated side marker lights, safe approach and home safe lighting, the Volvo Guard Alarm with battery back-up and immobilizer, keyless entry and central locking system, 2-step door opening and auto door unlocking in case of a crash situation.

All this to look after your safety? Absolutely! The S80 is, after all, the kind of beauty that cares. And people throughout the auto safety industry have taken note of this fact. The Volvo S80 has received Five Star crash test ratings from several US government agencies and a "Best Pick" designation given by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It has won acclaim and contributed new designs and technologies to the Volvo safety repertoire. We, of course, took their word for it and decided to leave the crash testing to the real dummies.

Luxury, elegance and opulence do have a price, however, and for the Volvo S80 2.0L, it’s a pocket pinching P2,725,000. Yet, considering the competition’s pricing, the S80’s sticker price seems just right. It’s been said that the best cars out in the market ought to make one feel like a million bucks. Well, here is a car with as much personality as it does panache and driving around in the Volvo S80 definitely made this writer feel more like close to three million bucks! Worth the buy? If you have the moolah to invest in some prime, elegant property on four wheels, definitely so...