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| Modern and stylish it may be, but the S80 is more about safety. Some things never change... (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
Over the past decade, Volvo has gone through a sea of change. In response to the mechanical revolution of the front-wheel drive 850s that dawned in the early '90s, Volvo turned around its image, reluctantly trading in angles for curves as if subjected to What Not to Wear, Automotive Edition. And while the purposeful Swede has redefined Scandinavian luxury with its stylish interiors, it has not become infatuated with fickle trends; it has not lost the plot. No matter what the label says or the wrapper looks like, you can expect certain things when you step inside Volvo's flagship sedan. Comfortable seats are one, as are excellent ergonomics. You expect the car to be safe in a crash and boring, if not safe to drive. But if you should come across a new Volvo S80, the one thing that you won't be expecting is the sound it makes; the raspy growl produced when its V8 is fired up. Right away, it's clear that this is no normal Volvo. Or is it?
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| V8 engine is one of the greatest features of the car, despite its low-ish output figures. The burbling sound is truly un-Volvo like. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
This wonderfully fruity sound, which has a distinctively American flavour to it, is, as a matter of fact, the result of an unlikely alliance between Sweden and Japan, of Volvo and Yamaha to be exact. The 4.4-litre, 60-degree engine's advantage is its compact size and light weight, enabling it to be wedged into the bay of a car that's been spawned from compact car architecture. Like the XC90 that launched this engine, it's extra squeaky clean and with about 1,000 kg less to haul around the sedan is much quicker too. The car will hit 100 km/h in about six and a half seconds, which isn't slow, but for this class it definitely isn't sport sedan quick. How come? Despite having the physical displacement and high-tech continuously variable valve timing, it only manages to muster up 311 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, figures that are now not only rivaled by other eight cylinder engines but smaller six cylinder ones too. Instead, the real value of the V8 is its seemingly effortlessness, laid back nature. With plenty of torque available through a wide power band, it is responsive off the line and works well with the standard six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission and Haldex all-wheel drive system, ensuring that none of the power is wasted. Still, the best part of the engine has to be the sound that it makes... it'll tease you into driving around with the windows down and the sunroof open just to hear it growl on full throttle.
