Scandinavian Luxury! Don’t know if there is such a genre but I can say that the makers of Volvo S80 have been touting it as a representative of the same. The flagship sedan combines traditional Volvo lines with high-tech safety features typical of Swedish car makers. Volvo says Scandinavian luxury is accessible, elegant and intelligent, without being elitist. Luxury needs to be asserted and identified when your competitors include the BMW 5 Series, Lexus GS and Infiniti M35/M45!

The Volvo S80 is a slick, modern, pretty but understated, quick and powerful sedan with solid performance.Available with a 236 hp 3.2-litre inline six-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive, a 4.4-litre V8 engine and all-wheel drive, or with a new T6 281 hp turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six and all-wheel drive, the second generation Volvo S80 is more luxurious than the previous models. It has won awards in best mid-size luxury sedan interior.

Its front end has taken on a curvier, sleeker appearance and a slightly sportier profile than the first generation, sold from 1999 through 2006. The new S80 (ex-showroom price Rs 41,00,000) is based on the Ford EUCD platform, also used for vehicles like Ford’s S-MAX, Mondeo and Galaxy large MPVs. Some of these Ford vehicles, whilst sharing this platform, and some parts, are distinctly different from each other. Volvo vehicles on this platform tend to use more high-tech parts and expensive underpinnings.