The Volvo S80 gets a new engine and a
mild refresh. Is it a good buy, though?
Call it coincidence, but I have
exceptionally romantic memories in Volvos. Wooed a (now ex-) girlfriend in the
S60 (she fell for the sunroof trick), went with another (ex-) girlfriend for a
leisurely monsoon picnic in the V40 Cross Country (the panoramic roof!) and
then had a slightly adventurous stint (ahem!) in the XC60. I loved every moment
spent with each one of them and wish they'd stayed forever (I'm talking about
the cars, of course). Yes, it's all very nice to have a BMW fling, a Mercedes
girlfriend and an Audi I-can't-remember-what-happened-last-night, but marriage
material? I'd pick a Volvo any day.
The
S80 D5 has appeal for drivers who spend their days on the motorway
Anyway, I'm digressing - let's move on from
my fond recollections to the S80 D5, which is Volvo's entry in the E-Class/5
Series/ A6 segment. The S80 has been around for a while now, but it would be an
understatement to say that it hasn't quite enjoyed the same kind of success as
its German rivals in India. Blame it on the very apparent lack of flash
(important to many), and the S80, despite being a well-engineered car, hasn't
really caught people's fancy. Volvo's taken the hint and given the new S80 some
tweaks: ergo, there's chrome garnishing, upgraded trim and a new engine. Now
we're talking.
Step
inside and the spacious, high quality interior of the Volvo S80 D5 still
impresses
The D5 engine, a 2.4-litre diesel unit that
produces 212 bhp (that's 50 more horses than the D4, also on sale) and 44.8 kgm
of torque, is quite sprightly and shows its oomph when you mash the throttle
pedal to the floor. It accelerates in a manner that belies its (still) rather
sober exterior and emits a meaty growl while the numbers rack up on the digital
speedo. The S80 does suffer from exaggerated turbo lag which makes its lack of
immediacy when compared to, say, the BMW 530d (which uses a twin-scroll turbo)
very apparent. Drive it gently, however, and it does just fine. The six-speed
gearbox goes about its business pretty seamlessly and, in terms of whatever is
under the hood, the S80 fits in perfectly with its competition.
There's
plenty of room for rear passengers
I love the thought Volvo puts into
designing interiors but the S80's cabin just seems jaded. Don't get me wrong -
the interior is very well-appointed: the front seats are exceptionally
well-designed; the steering wheel is comfortable to grip; the audio unit is
terrific; and rear legroom is adequate (note: I didn't say best-in-class); but
Volvo has gone too far with the understated-ness of it all. Compared to its
immediate rivals it's downright staid.
That said, the S80 works for those who like
to travel in discretion. At $74,875 (ex-showroom, Delhi) it's not an
overwhelmingly value-for-money buy, but it is practical (the boot is huge),
economical (how does 10.7 kpl overall sound?) and serves well as a car to drive
and be driven in. Best of all, because it's a Volvo, you will be safe when
things start to go wrong and since it's not flashy, no one will want to steal
it. Marriage material - told you so.
