A gentleman, Jeeves once averred, does not wear a straw boater in the metropolis. Famous — even notorious — for his sense of strict propriety in matters sartorial, he might have raised the left eyebrow a millimeter on seeing Bertram Wooster in the new Volvo S80 V8 and murmured “Very good, sir.” And so it is.
Discreetly sporty, subtly different from its more raunchy predecessor the S80 six cylinder model, the impeccably mannered S80 V8 would look entirely at home in Jermyn Street yet with almost apologetic alacrity, whisk you from 0 to 100 kph in a smidgen over six seconds with the most discreet of roars from the 4.4 liter V8 nestling under the hood. With 450kg less mass than the S80 to contend with, the 311 horsepower pushing through the six-speed gearbox and constant four-wheel drive can really show its form.
When one is on the highway being jostled by the proletariat, communicating your wishes to the accelerator produces an “If I may be permitted, sir” fractional delay and then delivers effortless rapid acceleration in the mid-range between 80 and 140 kph allowing one to ease off to an idle 120 (or indeed much more) at a very modest 2200 rpm, little more than fast tickover.
However, the S80 was not brutishly fast; perish the thought! It was agile and speedy — one believes 245kph was mentioned — and the brakes equally so. The pedal was firm, response instant — almost intuitive — and the 33cm front discs and 30 cm rear discs provided a firm restraining hand without a hint of unseemly behavior.
It is not a car that shouts “status,” but just mentions it in passing. It is a refined extension of the Volvo ethic of safety, style and comfort and contains beneath its smoothed but characteristic Volvo shape, the full panoply of safety features one would expect of the company. It carries Volvo’s latest safety technology. After mastering passive safety (airbags, WHIPS, SIPS), Volvo’s engineers intend to avoid accidents altogether. I feel an eyebrow rising at the thought of that here in the peninsula. The S80 is the first Volvo to feature adaptive cruise control with Collision Warning and Brake Support designed to warn the driver and lessen the severity of an impact in a collision.
If one wishes, S80 has sport package. This includes the adaptive chassis, adaptive bi-xenon headlamps, speed-sensitive steering and high-performance 18-inch tires wrapped around alloy wheels. Presumably, competition from the Far East drove Volvo to offer these extras but for such a well balanced gentleman’s sedan, the very thought of them would, to coin a phrase, make “ice form on the butler’s upper slopes.”
Just as Jeeves would glide into one’s presence with a discreet cough, the V8 introduces itself with a basso profundo rumble from the twin triangular tailpipes that hint at greater depths of character. The keyless entry system and ignition does away with unfashionable fumbling for bits of metal that spoil the cut of one’s suit; when the authorized owner is close enough, the door unlocks automatically and prepares the engine for ignition. And joy of joys, this thoroughbred is enlivened with an entirely correct start button! The electronic key fob will tell you what condition you left the car in — locked or unlocked, whether there has been an unauthorized entry and even, through a sensor that detects heartbeats, whether that person is still in the car.
Inside, the use of space is impressive and uncluttered with flashily obvious gadgetry. The roominess of the cabin seems not to fit the apparent dimensions of the car. The smooth sweep of the dashboard overlies the instrument panel and continues Volvo’s tradition of true Scandinavian luxury through simplicity, soft curves, and warm tones coupled with high quality materials. This different perspective on luxury is subtly cool. One cannot but notice the slender center console that houses the digital climate controls and the Dolby Pro-Logic II/Dynaudio surround sound system. The seats themselves are air-conditioned — a real luxury on long drives. An optional navigation system is housed in a pop-up screen and later a Head Up Display projected onto the windshield will be available. The trunk seems too impossibly large to fit in the sculpted rear end with its muted but iconic Volvo shoulder. The trunk lid has a lift-over lid and non-intrusive hinges. A negative point is the relatively small opening that would prevent the loading of large boxes.
The test model was not fitted with the dynamic chassis — which has three settings: Comfort, Sport and Advanced. The ride was smooth with a little float over bumps. However, even pushing it through long seemingly endless turns while accelerating never once caused the car to waver of drift off line or utter any tire squeal. It probably could be done — but the car would have to be driven out of character.
The cabin is quiet — low wind noise due to the detailed streamlining. On the test car, there was the occasional hint of ‘thrumming’ from changing road surfaces at cruising speeds, but it was never oppressive. The air-cooled leather seats were very comfortable with settings aplenty. Lumbar support was gentle and enough and, as one passenger observed, without the lumpy feel of some luxury vehicles.
If you will permit me....there is one observation — or rather lack of same — one has to make. Rearview mirrors. They are relatively small and limited in their effectiveness. This is not unique to Volvo; the same applied to two classes of Mercedes on recent test and appears to me to be a sacrifice of sense on the altar of style. On the S80 V8 there was a considerable blind spot on the drive-side. Particularly on Saudi roads, where the cavalier overtaker rushing on his way to the undertaker on both sides of the highway is considered correct form, one needs to know the exact location of one’s closing chums if for no other reason than to avoid their tailors. Larger and slightly convex mirrors would be a boon.
What the Volvo does have though is an enviable and venerable heritage characterized by quality, safety, endurance and longevity. The 2007 Volvo S80 holds on to what makes Volvo great — safety and sturdiness — while moving closer to the company’s aspiration of delivering an attractive and spirited driving experience.
“One endeavors to provide satisfaction, sir,” as Jeeves would say.
