2007-2008 Volvo S80: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Volvo's flagship sedan was redesigned for 2007, and became the automaker's first car available with a V8 engine. Styling evolved from the 1999-2006 design, and dimensions changed little, inside or out. Two versions were offered, with new engines. The 3.2 model had front-wheel drive and a 235-horsepower inline six-cylinder engine. The S80 V8 had all-wheel drive and a Yamaha-developed 311-hp, 4.4-liter V8, similar to the one used in Volvo's XC90 SUV. A six-speed automatic was the sole transmission. Previous S80s had a five-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic. Antilock braking and traction/antiskid control were standard. So were front side airbags and curtain side airbags. Adaptive cruise control with a collision warning function was a new S80 option. Another new option was Volvo's Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), with a mirror-mounted camera that detected and warned of nearby objects that might otherwise go unseen by the driver. An optional Sport Package included driver-adjustable power-steering settings and Volvo's Four-C adaptive suspension, with Comfort, Sport, and Advanced settings. Other options included a navigation system and DVD entertainment. An S80 could also be equipped with a Personal Car Communicator, including a heartbeat sensor that could warn if a person was inside the car from yards away. Available Ready Alert Brakes were designed to pre-charge the braking system if an imminent collision was detected. Volvo's S80 competed against such models as the Acura RL, Audi A6, and Cadillac DTS.