Using superlatives such as the “It’s the safest car we’ve ever built” can be a somewhat dangerous game for auto executives. But Volvo – long the automaker of choice for Birkenstock-shod buyers who like to peruse federal crash test data on the weekends – is making that claim with the all-new 1999 S80 sedan.
It’s how the company hopes to carve a unique path in its first foray into the prestige luxury sedan segment, against heavyweights such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The S80 is the first Volvo to come out of the company’s new product strategy following the aborted merger several years ago with French automaker Renault.
Company officials say they are confident in asserting that the S80, a front-wheel-drive successor to the 16-year-old rear-wheel-drive S90 (nee 960) and 760 sedans, is the safest car ever built by the Swedish automaker.
“We even say that in our advertising,” said Mark LaNeve, vice-president of marketing for Volvo Cars of North America Inc. “We’re trying to stamp home our safety leadership with this car.”
Volvo’s new flagship sedan, which goes on sale this month with prices ranging from $35,800 for the base car to $44,000 for the loaded twin-turbo performance edition, certainly has some first-ever safety features. They include a standard complement of six air bags – dual front, dual front side and unique side “inflatable curtains” that deploy from the roof and protect front- and rear-seat occupants along the car’s side windows.
Volvo says this new system, which stays inflated slightly longer than a traditional air bag, is designed to help protect heads and torsos in rollover accidents.
The five-passenger S80 also has a new standard anti-whiplash seating system for front passengers that essentially causes the front seats to move backward with a cushioning effect in a rear impact to reduce the snapping of the head and torso.
The S80 includes standard antilock brakes and a stability- and traction-control system. An optional integrated child booster cushion which folds down from the center of the rear seatback is also available.
The debut of the S80 marks the end of the rear-wheel-drive era for Volvo.
“The purists may prefer rear-wheel drive and, for a company such as BMW, it may make perfect sense,” LaNeve said. “But our focus with this car is premium family driving. We think front-drive makes better sense for our customers.”
However, families will not be able to purchase a wagon version of the S80. Volvo says it will likely offer an all-wheel-drive version of the S80, probably for the 2000 model year. Volvo hopes to sell 7,000 to 8,000 S80s in North America in 1999.
The abandonment of rear-wheel-drive cars and the S80’s move away from the signature boxy Volvo shape toward more sculpted lines have the potential to alienate some long-time Volvo loyalists.
The company began its move toward making cars that were more confections of curves and leather rather th an refrigerators-on-wheels with the 1998 C70 coupe. The company even hired Albert Watson, a celebrated New York fashion photographer, to shoot the coupe for its advertising campaign.
It was LaNeve who said he wanted to position the C70 as a “design icon” – surely a first-ever idea in Volvo history. That trend continues with the S80’s styling.
But don’t let the sedan’s softer looks fool you. The performance is still there.
The base S80 comes with a 201-horsepower 2.9-liter six-cylinder engine coupled with a four-speed automatic transmission. The S80 T-6 features a twin-turbo 268-hp 2.8-liter inline six-cylinder that is mated to a Geartronic automatic transmission for clutchless, manual shifting.
Besides safety, Volvo is positioning itself as the value leader against competitors such as the BMW 540i, the Mercedes-Benz E320, the Lexus GS 400 and the Cadillac Seville SLS.
The base sticker price on the top-of-the-line S80 T-6 is $40,385 compared to $50,50 r the 540i, $45,500 for the E320, $44,800 for the GS 400 and $42,495 for the SLS.
Unlike some of its competitors, the S80 T-6 comes with standard items such as an in-dash CD player and a standard cold-climate package that includes heated front seats and headlight washers. Extras include a $1,200 sunroof and a $1,595 leather interior.