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By
EWAN KENNEDY
10 November 2008
The
words ‘high-performance’ and ‘Volvo’ aren't spoken in the
same sentence very often, at least not by the average Joe who
isn’t particularly interested in motoring. Volvo and safety,
certainly get talked about, but not high-performance.
Yet
the Swedish marque has had some excellent high-performance cars
for many decades. Indeed, way back in the sixties Volvo was much
better known for its sporty sedans and coupes than for its work in
the safety field. Car enthusiasts, at least those over the age of
50 are well aware of the sporting heritage, but Volvo in Australia
is still struggling to be seen as anything other than a maker of
safe cars that are a serious alternative to the all-conquering
German brands.
The
introduction of the Volvo S80 T6 may change that feeling. This big
saloon features a turbocharged six-cylinder engine putting out 210
kilowatts of power and 400 Newton metres of torque.
With
a capacity of 3.0 litres and running turbo boost, that power
output doesn’t seem particularly exceptional. But the big thing
about the new engine in the S80 is its torque, torque that peaks
at a ridiculously low 1500 revs and goes all the way up to 4800
rpm.
Few
drivers will ever have this engine running at other than its peak
torque figure. Aussie drivers love grunt from their engines and
‘torque’ and ‘grunt’ are synonyms in the motoring world.
Combine
all that grunt with the traction of all-wheel drive and you will
understand how this big Swede saloon manages to get from zero to
100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds. And if you aren't interested in
dragging others off the traffic lights (which is pretty dumb even
if it is fun at times!) then wait until you feel that torque in
action when you pull out to overtake on a tight country road. Your
Volvo S80 T6 will be out, past, and back in again in a very safe
distance.
This
sort of performance comes at a price, though. The engine is rated
at 11.2 litres per hundred kilometres and 267 grams of CO2 when
measured to Australia standards. Not particularly good numbers.
Introduced
for the 2009 model year, the Volvo S80 T6 joins the D5
turbo-diesel and the 4.4-litre V8 models in the Swedish marque’s
lineup. The complete range has received minor revisions for the
new season, chiefly on the inside, where the trim is offered in
new colours and has design changes to freshen its appearance.
As
always with Volvos there's a big emphasis on interior space and
comfort, with front seats that can accept even large Aussie rear
ends. The overall design of the cabin is trim and neat, with an
air of understated elegance. The Swedish machines take an
altogether different tack from the typical German cars, something
that’s really appreciated by those looking to get away from the
ordinary in this class.
At
a pretty reasonable $78,950 the new Volvo S80 T6 costs a neat
$20,000 less than its big brother the S80 V8, and has almost as
much performance – and uses almost as much petrol.
A
word of warning, some insurance companies have an aversion to
turbocharged engines, often justifiably so as turbocharged
Japanese cars are often bought by not-very-smart drivers who have
a nasty habit of running into things. Talk to your insurance
company first, if it doesn’t seem keen on a turbo engine have a
word to your Volvo dealer about turbo-friendly insurers. In fact,
it makes sense to go to the dealers in the first place.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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