Sweet Swede

Volvo cruises to the top of the mid-luxury segment with the new S80. Completely redone for 2007, this is a sedan that appeals to a shrewd business sense in its owners by combining style and substance.

A leaner and more stylish look is achieved by stretching the wheelbase under the chassis, meaning shorter overhang at both ends and a coefficient of drag of 0.29. A stiffer platform improves on an S80 chassis that already was a standard of excellence in the XC90 SUV, as well as Ford’s Five Hundred sedan and Freestyle SUV.

Minnesota winters are no worse than Sweden’s, and both are handled effortlessly by the S80’s seamlessly reacting all-wheel drive or base-model front-wheel drive. The high-tech, narrow-angle 4.4-liter V8—built by Yamaha for Volvo’s transverse mounting in the XC90—offers 311 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque in the S80. A new 3.2-liter inline 6-cylinder engine with 235 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds of torque makes the lighter front-wheel-drive model perform with quick agility.

Though it’s priced below mid-level sedans from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti, the S80 is second to none of these in features. The best seats in the industry are available in ventilated or smooth leather, heated or cooled. And Volvo’s signature thin-panel center instrument stack creates an efficient and uncomplicated interior.

Luxury, performance, and comfort are complemented by Volvo’s advanced safety structure, with front, rear, side, and rollover protection. New safety features include adaptive cruise control, a collision warning system that flashes and beeps to let you know if the car ahead slows dramatically, and a “Blind Spot Information System” that signals you whenever the side-mirror cameras detect a vehicle coming up alongside yours.

My favorite S80 gadget is the keyless-entry fob, which has a two-way radio embedded. If you ever wonder whether you’ve locked the S80, you can click a button and a tiny light comes on next to the lock or unlock button. It works even if you’re halfway around the world from your car. The fob also, believe it or not, has a heartbeat detector that can tell you if someone has entered the car.