Volvo S80 T6 Anniversary Edition

Volvo S80 T6 Anniversary Edition Volvo S80 T6 Anniversary Edition
Short Take Road Test

The idea of paying almost $50,000 for a Volvo would have been inconceivable not so long ago. Although Volvos have never been cheap, and the people who bought them far from destitute, they were solid, sensible, safe paragons of practicality. A Volvo was the antithesis of a luxury car-call it inconspicuous consumption.

Not anymore. Since Ford bought Volvo's passenger-car unit in 1999 for $6.45 billion and folded it into its Premier Automotive Group, Volvo has been primed to move up in class. Ford's plan is for Volvo to hold onto its virtues but shed its somewhat stodgy image so it can go head-to-head against the likes of Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Lexus.

Volvo's most serious challenge to these luxury-brand kingpins is the S80 T6 Anniversary Edition, 500 of which will be built to mark the company's 75th birthday. At an as-tested price of $47,540, the sedan goes right in the face of Audi's A6, BMW's 5-series, an entry-level Mercedes-Benz E-class, and a Lexus GS430, not to mention some others.

In terms of luxury, the Volvo is a match for any of these. Its leather would pass muster in a Coach store; its wood trim could panel a Chippendale; its controls feel like those of a high-end audio system; and all the bits and pieces in its cabin are put together with craftsmanlike skill. What's more, our test car outluxed the competition with its standard DVD entertainment system, which is dovetailed into the rear of the front-seat headrests. And to further gild the lily, there's an optional refrigerator ($721) between the rear seats big enough to chill three bottles of Pellegrino.

In more objective terms, the S80 AE is within a couple inches of its competition in the major dimensions, which means it's roomy inside and substantial outside. It rides on the same platform as the less expensive S60 sedan and V70 wagon. But in the Anniversary Edition, Volvo managed to eke out an additional two inches of rear legroom by eliminating the fold-down seatbacks and tweak the rear doors so they open more fully. The car's stout chassis keeps it tight and noiseless and anchors a suspension that's equal to providing the kind of ride and handling one demands from this class of vehicle-that is, unambiguous in a straight line, supple in curves, and free of float or wander over rough stuff. In hard driving, body roll and pitch become noticeable but not disagreeably so.

The S80 AE doesn't stack up quite so well in performance, despite its twin-turbo 272-hp, 2.9-liter in-line six-cylinder engine. There's plenty of power, but in a foot-to-the-floor launch from a dead stop, its front-drive layout causes some torque steer, and when the turbos cut in, there's a too-sudden jolt of power. In normal driving, though, the S80 AE doesn't disappoint when a run up the rpm range is warranted. The transmission includes a manumatic gate, although it's not as intuitive as other systems. You have to pull the lever back beyond D to get into a Tiptroniclike mode, but one gets used to it.

As for looks, the S80 AE's styling won't get it into any rock videos, but with its trademark diagonal-slash grille, unusual taillights, and full-length shoulders, it is far less anonymous than Volvos of yesteryear. Is it as distinctive as, say, a Bimmer, Merc, or Audi? That's a little harder to say. The S80 AE certainly didn't make parking valets snap to as readily as the German luxury brands do.

Looking at this car logically, it has the wherewithal to join this exclusive club. What it lacks is pedigree. The Germans earned theirs over generations, and the Japanese got in the door by underpricing their cars until they were eventually accepted. But the S80 T6 Anniversary Edition-with its competitive, but not especially attractive, price-is going to have a hard time crashing this scene.