Volvo S80. Find 10 differences / Volvo test drives

Volvo S80. Price: not specified. On sale: since June 2009

The next update of the legendary Volvo S80, one might say, was achieved with little bloodshed. During a short test on the French Riviera, finding ten differences in the design of the S80 of the last two generations turned out to be no easy task. Especially since the main one — the new diesel engine D5244T10 — was reliably hidden under the sculpted hood of the Swedish sedan.

Have you ever dined at a table set right in the empty hall of an automobile museum, surrounded by dozens of rarities from the collection of the Prince of Monaco? No? Honestly, me neither! But even such a creative gala evening, arranged on the occasion of the premiere of the updated S80, could not overshadow the impressions from getting acquainted with the new D5 diesel — the main highlight of the next generation of the Swedish business sedan.

And let the familiar five-cylinder layout of the Volvo diesel not confuse you. “The emblem and the name — that's all that connects it with the engines of the previous generation,” leaning against the body of the historic Volvo P1800 coupe standing in the center of the princely collection, admits one of the creators of the new engine, Hans-Goran Milding. “The engine was built from scratch, and the result exceeded our wildest expectations.” The aluminum cylinder block made it possible to significantly lighten the structure and improve heat dissipation. But the main thing is that the engine received a fundamentally new injection scheme. To increase power and smoothness, a scheme with two sequential turbochargers of different sizes was used. The smaller one works at low speeds, providing a sharp response to the gas pedal, the large one engages at high speeds, giving consistently high torque over a wide range. Together, the pair of turbines creates a pressure of 1.8 bar, which allows confident acceleration at overtaking speeds: 80–120 km/h. In addition, high fuel pressure and piezoelectric injectors, which operate twice as fast as conventional ones and provide up to seven injections per cycle, reduce noise and vibration on the steering wheel.

Despite the high absolute pressure and a power increase of 20 hp, the twin-turbo technology made it possible to reduce fuel consumption compared to the previous D5 by as much as 8%: from 7.3 to 6.7 liters per 100 km. But most importantly, the engine turned out to be surprisingly undemanding to the quality of diesel fuel. “We tested the engine with all possible samples of diesel fuel that we could obtain not only in Sweden but also in Russia, and no problems arose,” Milding smiles proudly. “The D5 is not sensitive to the content of water and sulfur.” Another feature of the new heart of the S80 that is important for Russian conditions was ceramic glow plugs, which reach a temperature of 1000 degrees (with a maximum of 1300°C) in just 2 seconds. This allows the engine to be started without preheating even in severe frost at minus 30°C.

Unlike the engine, the visual changes in the appearance of the S80 are few and mostly quite conventional. The Volvo emblem, which has grown fuller, like on the XC60. A more brutal radiator grille with a wide chrome trim and an elegant silver shelf between the expressive fog lights. The interior updates are done in the same spirit. The center console, ignition lock slot, and steering wheel received pseudo-aluminum trims. And the classic four-spoke steering wheel, among other things, has become slightly more athletic in profile.

Following the example of the XC60, the updated S80 is offered with three different chassis. In addition to the adaptive 4C suspension already familiar from the previous version with three stiffness modes selectable from the center console, the S80 received two passive options: Sport and Comfort. In “comfort,” the basic settings of the previous version are almost completely preserved. But the sport chassis has become noticeably stiffer and lower. The front of the S80 dropped by 15 mm, the rear by 20. The suspension received shorter and stiffer springs, viscous shock absorbers, and reinforced anti-roll bars. To improve stability, the S80 in standard trim was equipped with an automatic leveling system that maintains a parallel position of the body relative to the road regardless of load and number of passengers. As a result, there is no trace of the former melancholy of the Volvo S80. The combination of all-wheel drive, sport suspension, and the new D5 engine reveals new facets of the character of the diesel Scandinavian. When cornering, a drive uncharacteristic for the model is felt. The S80 confidently clings to the asphalt with its wheels, and the constant high torque allows you to play more actively with the gas, passing bends on the verge of reasonable risk.

The proprietary dynamic stability and traction control system (DSTC) of the S80 AWD, if it intervenes in the cornering process, does so extremely unobtrusively.

Technical specifications

Make and model — Volvo S80 D5
Dimensions — 4851x1907x1493 mm
Engine — diesel, 2400 cm3, 205 hp/4000 rpm
Transmission — automatic, 6-speed
Dynamics — max 230 km/h (AWD — 225 km/h), 8.5 s to 100 km/h
Competitors — Audi A6, BMW 5-series

Advantages and disadvantages

+ High fuel efficiency, low sensitivity to diesel fuel quality, wide variability of suspension and steering settings.
– Lack of City Safety system.

Love it or not

Compared to the previous generation D5, the power of the diesel ENGINE has increased from 185 to 205 hp. POWERFUL

The USB INPUT slot allows you to upload files to the multimedia system from iPod and disk drives. CONVENIENT

The ON-BOARD COMPUTER allows you to change the steering effort based on driver preferences. VARIABLE

Driving
The variability of steering settings and wide freedom in choosing the suspension allow you to select and tune the S80 to your driving style.

Interior
For freshness, the familiar Volvo layout is complemented by “aluminum-look” plastic inserts.

Comfort
The reduction in vibrations and engine noise had a positive effect on comfort.

Safety
Safety is traditionally one of Volvo's strongest points. However, the absence of the City Safety system in the S80 design is a bit disappointing.

Price
Not specified.

Our opinion

The Russian debut of the diesel version of the S80 model is prepared quite well. The new generation engine has made the car noticeably quieter and smoother. The vibrations and stateliness of the D5 engine familiar to us from the XC60, XC70, and XC90 are practically eliminated by the fundamentally new design with two turbochargers. In the conditions of the crisis, the appearance of an economical Scandinavian in the business class is just in time!