What's New?
Volvo's flagship sedan has been completely redesigned for 2007. The new S80 features a choice of straight-6 engine and front-wheel drive or a V-8 engine (a first in a Volvo sedan) with all-wheel drive, along with a host of advanced safety and convenience features.

Overview
The S80 first joined the Volvo lineup at the beginning of the decade, replacing the S90 (formerly known as the 940/960) as Volvo's flagship sedan. The S80's mission was to change Volvo's image as a supplier of staid, safe, and boxy cars, and while the S80 certainly was safe, staid and boxy it certainly wasn't. The new S80 carries on its predecessor's tradition in terms of styling—its protruding grille and rounded taillights carrying on styling cues that have become a Volvo tradition.

Also in keeping with tradition is the S80's commitment to safety. Along with numerous air bags and electronic stability and traction control systems—hardware bits now considered luxury-vehicle essentials—the S80 offers optional dynamic cruise control and a blind spot information system that warns the driver of vehicles in the blind spots on either side of the car. The S80 even features bumpers that are designed to be safer for pedestrians.

Power for the S80 comes from either a 235-hp inline 6-cylinder engine (a normally aspirated engine that replaces last year's turbocharged 5-cylinder) or a 311-hp V-8, the former driving the front wheels while the latter drives all four wheels, both utilizing a 6-speed automatic transmission with Geartronic manual control. Power-adjustable leather seats, a CD/MP3 player, and a sunroof are among the standard features; options include heated seats and washer nozzles, a Dolby Pro Logic stereo, and even a heartbeat sensor, which will detect an intruder hiding in the car and send a warning signal to the key fob.

The Competition
The Volvo S80 competes in the Midsize Premium Conventional segment, which consists of 12 models. Buyers in this segment look for quality, performance, and reliability, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Avoider Study^SM and the Escaped Shopper Study.^SM

The top sellers in the segment during calendar year 2006, according to the J.D. Power and Associates Sales Report,^SM were the Lexus ES Series (75,987 units sold), BMW 5 Series (56,756), and Mercedes-Benz E-Class (50,195). The Volvo S80 sold 5,469 units in 2006, a decrease of 46.3 percent compared to the previous year. Other models offered in the Midsize Premium Conventional segment include the Lexus GS Series, Cadillac STS, Infiniti M-Series, Volvo V70, and Audi A6.