Category: Executive 
Price Range: £22,245 to £36,745
Comfortable seats, good ride quality on smaller wheels.
Doesn't have the cachet of competitors, nor is it as good to drive.
An improvement over predecessor, but it's still not up to the German competition.
The new S80 feels more balanced and exhibits better body control than the old model. It isn't, though, a sports saloon by any stretch. And while there is the option of adjusting the steering effort from light for city driving to heavy for high-speed open-road motoring, there isn't much in the way of feedback in any mode. That said, the big Volvo is a secure-handling and surefooted beast, which won't throw any surprises at the unwary and inexperienced.
We've driven two versions: the hottest diesel and the all-wheel-drive petrol V8. With a 185bhp turbodiesel engine and the six-speed automatic gearbox the S80 D5 doesn't feel particularly brisk, even though the 0-60mph sprint takes a not unreasonable 8.0sec. It's not as refined as rival diesels, though, with too much vibration through the steering wheel and brake pedal at idle, and a roar under full-throttle acceleration that won't have you provoking this engine just for fun.
On paper the V8 looks like an interesting alternative to a muscle saloon like the Audi S6, but on the road it's a big disappointment. The 4.4-litre engine is strong and responsive, if a bit quiet, and it works well enough with the Geartronic transmission, but those plus points are wiped out by the stodgy, ponderous overall feel. On roundabouts, for instance, you can feel every single one of the 1742 kilos this model carries around. And for a car that's aimed at high-performance drivers, the steering wheel's far, far too big.
Driven as the comfortable cruiser it is obviously meant to be, the S80 acquits itself well. Just don't go looking for entertainment.
Predictably, the big sellers in the UK are going to be turbodiesel S80s. We tried the 185bhp D5 and, as mentioned, found it a bit lacking in punch. It's fine around town, with 295lb-ft of torque that peaks between 2,000 and 2,750rpm, but high-speed passing manoeuvres on open road need a lot of space and forethought.
The six-speed gearbox kicked down eagerly and was a good match for the D5. It has a sequential-manual mode, too, but we can't imagine many owners making much use of this function, as this car's more cruiser than backroad blaster.
For those who want much bigger performance, Volvo offers up the 315bhp V8 all-wheel-drive S80, which will get to 60mph in 6.0secs and steam on to 155mph.
For the record, the 200bhp 2.5 Turbo petrol will crack 60mph in 7.2secs and go on to 148mph, while the 238bhp 3.2 straight-six will breach 60mph in 7.4secs and make it to 149mph.
