| The S80 is
the largest of Volvo's S-range of saloons
and this second generation S80 offers a
competitive alternative to the dominant,
German luxury saloon rivals thanks to its
own distinctive Scandinavian style, combined
with excellent ride and handling
characteristics benchmarked against the
class leaders.

"We are
convinced that the all new Volvo S80 will be
a very strong contender in its class and win
over many new customers considering the
other popular premium brand rivals. We
expect to sell 50,000 new S80s a year around
the world, of which 70 per cent will be new
Volvo customers," says Frederik Arp, Volvo
Cars CEO. "The main markets for the all new
S80 will be the USA, Germany, Spain, Sweden,
UK and China," he continued.

Evolutionary Exterior Design
At its launch in 1998 the first generation
S80 heralded a bold new design direction for
Volvo, which still looks modern today, but
now Volvo's designers have carefully and
cleverly evolved Volvo design language to be
more youthful and dynamic as well as
introducing new Volvo safety technology and
powerful new engines - including Volvo's V8
(315bhp), available with AWD (All Wheel
Drive).
"The all new S80 is about evolutionary
design," says Steve Mattin, Volvo Cars
design director. "All the shapes and
materials it uses represent a continuous
development of the Volvo design language. We
have given the all new S80 a more youthful
and dynamic stance, and created an even more
inviting atmosphere by using refined
materials and colours that blend smoothly
with smart, user-friendly technology," he
continued.

World Class Safety - new technology
New safety technology for the all new S80
includes a unique Personal Car Communicator
(PCC) and new active safety systems -
Collision Warning and Brake Support - with
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), active
Bi-Xenon headlights and a patented body
structure developed at the award winning
Volvo Safety Centre.
Personal Car Communicator (PCC): The
new S80 includes an optional key fob
offering 'keyless drive' and incorporating a
world first innovation - the Personal Car
Communicator (PCC) which features
intelligent technology to remotely check if
the car is locked or not, alert you if the
alarm has been activated, and a heartbeat
sensor which warns if there is anyone in the
car.
Collision Warning and Brake Support:
The Collision Warning system alerts the
driver, via a 'heads-up' warning display on
the windscreen plus audible buzzer, if the
gap to the car in front closes so fast that
a collision is likely, while the Brake
Support system boosts the braking force to
ensure braking is as effective as possible.
The new active Bi-Xenon headlights improve
the driver's visibility at night by turning
the beam of the headlights in the direction
the steering wheel is being turned.

Scandinavian Luxury
The all new Volvo S80's 'Scandinavian
Luxury' differs from the traditional, or
Teutonic, luxury offered by the majority of
the other premium brands. Instead, Volvo's
'Scandinavian Luxury' radiates a simpler,
more stylish and modern feel by combining
aesthetics and technology in a more inviting
and intelligent way.

The interior
design offers a distinctive blend of
intelligent, elegant and unpretentious
Scandinavian style with a slim 'floating'
centre stack, luxury materials for
upholsteries and a choice of inlays and
colour schemes that blend smoothly together.

Premium
Sound audio system
Volvo's Premium Sound audio system for the
all new S80 will include 5x130W D-class
digital ICE power amplifiers from Alpine,
Dolby® Pro Logic II Surround Sound and
Dynaudio speakers to create the finest, high
quality audio system.
Powerful Engines
D5, 2.5T plus new V8 AWD and 3.2-litre in
line 6-cylinder. The two new engines
available for the all new S80 will be
Volvo's V8 petrol engine, offering 315bhp
and 440Nm of torque, which will be combined
with AWD (All Wheel Drive) with Instant
Traction for maximum traction and driving
pleasure. Four catalytic converters and
advanced electronics also make it one of the
cleanest V8 engines available.

The second engine will be a completely new,
naturally aspirated 3.2-litre six-cylinder
unit delivering 235bhp with 300Nm of torque
and like all Volvos will be fitted
transversely to provide maximum space and
improved crash performance with more space
to absorb any impact.
The new engine was designed by Volvo and
will be built at the Ford group engine plant
in Bridgend, Wales alongside six and
eight-cylinder units for other PAG brands,
such as Jaguar and Land Rover. Despite being
a six-cylinder unit, it has been designed to
be more compact than Volvo's five-cylinder
engines thanks to the camshaft drive
mechanism and ancillaries being relocated
and integrated into the engine block itself.
In addition, two of Volvo's five-cylinder
engines will be carried over from the
current S80 - the 200bhp 2.5T petrol unit
with 320Nm of torque and the latest D5
(185bhp) turbo diesel with 400Nm of torque.
Driving Dynamics
Extensive testing and development of the all
new S80's driving dynamics has been
undertaken in demanding and extreme
conditions around the world - including the
UK. Excellent handling characteristics and
driving pleasure have been achieved by
benchmarking it against the highest
standards of the well known leaders in the
premium large saloon class.

Advanced technology in the new S80 includes
the options of Volvo's active 'Four-C'
chassis with three settings which constantly
adjusts chassis settings to suit driving
conditions and preferred driving styles,
plus servotronic steering offering variable
steering torque. In addition, there will be
All Wheel Drive with Instant Traction
(initially with the V8 engine) and all
models will have DSTC (Dynamic Stability and
Traction Control). |