2013 Volvo S80

Vehicle Overview
Touting "Scandinavian luxury" as its defining attribute, Volvo's flagship sedan combines traditional Volvo lines with high-tech safety features typical of the brand. The S80 seats five, and all-wheel drive is available. Competitors include the Acura TL and Audi A6.

New for 2013
Volvo adds standard headlight washers, rain-sensing windshield wipers and push-button start to the S80. In addition, the Premium Plus trim gains adaptive xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights.

Exterior
Volvo says Scandinavian luxury is accessible, elegant and intelligent without being elitist. Volvo has shaken the boxy look it made famous by giving the S80 a curvier, sleeker appearance with a slightly sportier profile, yet still an unmistakably Volvo design. Exterior features include power-operated heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and  headlight washers standard. Options include heated windshield-washer nozzles and xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights with articulating lenses.

Interior
The S80's center controls sit on a thin metal panel pioneered in the S40 compact sedan. Luxurious touches include optional real wood trim with a wood-accented steering wheel. The back bench has a standard 60/40-split folding function for increased cargo capacity. Interior features include:

• Standard leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter and brake handle, Bluetooth connectivity
• Optional moonroof, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, leather-covered dashboard, and navigation system with real-time traffic info

Under the Hood
In 2011, Volvo cut back on the number of engine and drivetrain combinations available and has stuck with that plan since. There are two available engines: a 240-horsepower, 3.2-liter six-cylinder and a 300-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard and the S80 is offered with front-and all-wheel drive.

Safety
Available safety features include a blind spot warning system, which checks adjacent lanes for unnoticed cars, a collision warning system that monitors the speed of traffic ahead and warns the driver of an impending rear-end collision, and pedestrian detection with automatic braking. Standard safety features include side-impact and side curtain airbags, electronic stability system, antilock brakes with hydraulic brake assist, and the City Safety accident avoidance system. Adaptive cruise control and a lane departure warning system are optional.

*Overview courtesy of Cars.com