HIGH ON THE HIGHWAY: The Volvo S80 V8’s superb suspension carries it lightly over the toughest bumps

It gnashes its teeth and snarls menacingly, it whoops when you blip the throttle and responds so hard to any flexing of your right foot, you’d swear it was alive; a living, breathing beast of a motor. With big, big teeth.

STYLE FILE

Sure, one man’s noise pollution is another man’s music. Opera, heavy metal, qawwali, take your pick. But Volvo’s V8 is a maestro. It sings in the right key, jumps octaves with the precision of the Berlin Philharmonic and there’s never a hiccup or overrun. And when you have an empty basement parking playing the part of a natural amplifier, there really is nothing better. You only wish it were much louder and not relatively civilised.

UNDER THE HOOD

The large Volvo slips effortlessly into the night, like a battleship slipping out into a choppy ocean. The rains have destroyed some of the roads around the office and so I crawl over them. But there’s really no need — the suspension of the Volvo is set up to be comfortable above all else (remember their largest market is the US), and the S80 simply smothers everything but the worst bits.

There is some jiggling at low speeds on broken ground due to the low profile of the tyres and the occasional thump and thud, but overall it’s simply superb. Despite its formidable weight of nearly two tonnes, the S80’s suspension seems to skip lightly over the bumps, as the V8 tugs it forward at just a hint of the throttle.

DRIVER’S DEAL

I’m wide awake now, the effect of the Red Bull I swallowed earlier still fizzing in my brain. And since the roads are devoid of all distractions and moving chicanes, I point the nose in the direction of some interesting tarmac. Though the S80 doesn’t have massive freight train-dragging torque just off idle like a small-block V8, there is enough enthusiasm in the motor to get you to the sweet spot at 2500rpm double-quick.

The motor is now nice and warm, so it’s time to give the V8 its head. A longish straight approaches and I mash the throttle. The gearbox jumps a couple of gears down, dropping the motor right into the powerband at 5000rpm and the Volvo shoots forward like an arrow. And this rate of acceleration doesn’t let up. It just keeps going and going and going.

And then once you’ve tasted 315bhp, you want your next fix. Which comes up at the next straight. Back on the throttle as yellow streetlights get reeled in at an alarming rate, this time around I’m even more aghast. The gearing seems spot-on for a quick romp through the gears and this huge car displays searing pace. Volvo claims a 0-100 time of 6.5 seconds, but on our fuel it’s likely to lose a bit.

INSIDE STORY

It’s hard not to notice how comfortable you are in the cabin. With the windows up, the insulation of the S80 muffles almost all outside noise. Only sharp ridges elicit a whack from the suspension, the motor at cruising speed could be absent for all practical purposes and Volvo’s massive, leather-lined sofas are just perfect for a relaxed amble.

Sporting some very high quality leather with attractive stitching and piping, these seats are easily as comfortable as those on cars of a higher class. The dark tan seats, cream piping, dark wood trim and a silver ring around the steering wheel all look suitably upmarket. Those floating needles on the instrument panel look cool at night and the wooden steering wheel is extra-special — it’s thick, high quality and a joy to use.

The rear seats are equally comfortable — huge space, great support and generally difficult to fault. The dashboard however isn’t as well built as Volvo’s German competitors. Apart from the seats, the best bit is the Dynaudio music system. With its incredible clarity, awesome depth and a programmable sound stage and equaliser, it’ll encourage you to often take off for a drive just to listen to the stereo. And you get DVD screens for the rear seats as well.

FINAL VERDICT

It starts to drizzle but I stop by the seaside anyway. It’s weird, being in the heart of Mumbai with no one else around. Under Marine Drive’s yellow sodium-vapour lamps, the wet S80 looks pretty stunning — that heavily raked ‘flying buttress’ rear, C-pillar that flows in one sweep, the arrow-like profile, the crisp detailing.

Of course the S80 V8 is not for everyone. It’s not likely to give you a better average than 6km per litre and when all 315bhp is used, it will struggle to deliver five. Still, if you aren’t fazed by fuel bills that are 40 per cent higher, if your daily commute is not too long or if you aren’t averse to funding a gold-lined swimming pool in Arabia, no car in its class offers the comfort, excitement and thrill of the S80 V8.

And with Volvo’s insane obsession for safety, a pageful of safety features and a gazillion airbags, I’ll bet you anything that it will be safest too.

spec check

VOLVO S80 V8

• Price: 46.13 lakh
• Length: 4851 mm
• Width: 2106 mm
• Height: 1493 mm
• Wheelbase: 2835 mm
• Kerb Weight: 1920 kg
• Engine: V8, 4414 cc, petrol
• Installation: Front, transverse, all-wheel-drive
• Power: 315 bhp at 5950 rpm
• Torque: 44.8 kgm at 3950 rpm
• Gearbox: 6 speed-auto
• Suspension: (Front) MacPherson strut with coil springs and anti roll bar. (Rear) Multi link with coil springs and anti roll bar
  
• Fuel Tank: 70 litres
• Tyre size: 245/45 R17