Volvo S80 2005: Volvo's Flagship Luxury Sedan, Versatile Volvo Auto Parts, Performance Parts, and Replacement PartsWritten by Jenny McLane
The S80 offers luxury, interior comfort and a stylish body. The suspension is highly sophisticated. It offers a smooth ride and feels extremely stable on highway. Moreover, Volvo's safety engineering leads auto industry. The S80 contains standard amenities such as a rear DVD entertainment system, heated front seats, an interior air quality system, available metallic exterior paint, infrared reflective windshield, and rain-sensing wipers. Exclusively available on T6 Premier is optional integrated rear refrigerator, which includes a shelf compartment and four glasses. Standard features available are fog lights, Four-C Chassis, and bi-Xenon headlights. A new Sport Package is available for 2.5T and 2.5T AWD, which includes sport seats, a five-speed automatic transmission, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Safety is what Volvo is known for, and S80 reaches new levels. With side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, anti-whiplash seats, as well as a sophisticated steel structure that's computer designed around crash-resistance, S80 achieves coveted 5-star crash-test rating in front and side collisions, as well as a 5-star rollover-resistance rating. Contemporary Volvos are sleek, and S80 led that Swedish revolution applied to rest of Volvo line, even to best-selling XC90 sport-utility vehicle. The S80 has soft lines with a gently sloping hood, steeply raked windscreen, slightly bowed roofline and coupe-like rear window. Flared wheel wells gently wrap striking alloy wheels. Its 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine is a good workhorse and it is very quick. Fitted with an intercooled turbocharger, 2.5T makes 208 horsepower but feels like more, with 236 pound-feet of torque available at a low 1500 rpm. The speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering gives S80 a light touch and a steadiness in curves. In addition to all-wheel drive, 2.5T AWD comes with Volvo's Dynamic Stability and Traction Control, one of most sophisticated electronic stability control systems around.
| | The XC90 V8: A Purebred Performer with Its Supercharged Volvo Performance PartsWritten by Jenny McLane
Volvo has achieved many environmental milestones over years. The ULEV-II certified low emission vehicles including XC90 V8 is another testimony to its commitment to environment. The production Volvo XC90 V8 has makings of purebred performer. With 311 horsepower and 325 ft.-lb. or torque at a low 3,900 rpm Volvo XC90 stresses its position as one of most successful SUV models in premium segment.The new V8 engine marks a new turning point in Volvo Cars' history. Since 1927, it is first V8 company has produced and Volvo XC90 is first model to be powered by new engine. One absolute requirement for new V8 engine was that it had to be installed transversely in engine compartment, just like all other Volvo engines. A transverse engine is helpful in maintaining frontal crumple zones in XC90 and thus not compromise on protective safety," says Hans Wikman. For this reason, extremely compact external dimensions were essential for new engine. This also explains choice of just 60 degrees between two banks of cylinders -- as opposed to more conventional 90 degrees. The XC90 V8 has an estimated 600 horsepower with use of a massive supercharger, revised engine mapping and low restriction exhaust. That power is routed through Volvo's Haldex electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system. The system is "pre-charged" which means that power may be instantly routed to wheel with most traction. A new 6-speed automatic "Geartonic" transmission rounds out driveline. Volvo C90 V8 engine has compact dimensions and weighs just 418 pounds, which is necessary for low fuel consumption. It has ultra high performance alloy wheels, ultra deep front air dam, small, high intensity fog lamps, and custom fabricated wheel arches, 13-inch floating rear brakes, shod with 4-piston calipers. 15-inch floating discs with 8-piston calipers handle brake duty up front.
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