Volvo has dropped the high-performance and more expensive T6 version of its aging S80 luxury sedan for 2006 and gone to a single all-wheel-drive lineup of five-cylinder model for $54,995.
The Toronto branch of the Swedish division of Detroit's Ford Motor Company says this move was taken to "reflect the growing consumer demand for luxury vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive."
Apparently, that meant the $62,895 T6 and its 268-hp V-6 had to go, and an improved all-wheel-drive system had to come.
S80 sales have dropped steadily in recent years, and so far this year they're running at less than half of what they were in 2004; by the end of June, Volvo Canada had sold 131 units of S80, down from 295 during the first five months of last year.
The remaining version of the S80 has the same price it had last year, but Volvo has added an improved all-wheel-drive system and repackaged the option choices. Now there's one extra-cost option, the Luxury Package at $3,900. This is essentially a compilation of two previous option packages and some stand-alone features.
The Luxury Package includes Dynamic leather upholstery, a power passenger seat, 17-inch alloy wheels, speed-sensitive steering, Bi-Xenon headlights, dynamic stability and traction control, a 12-speaker audio system, a rain sensor, a wooden steering wheel, a leather handbrake handle, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.
A DVD-based navigation system is the one remaining major option on the S80 for 2006, and it still costs $2,500.
Propulsive power for the S80 still comes from that 2.5-litre, inline-five with a low-pressure turbo that creates 208 hp at 5,000 rpm and 236 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm.
Volvo Canada boss Paul Cummings thinks the new all-wheel-drive system is worthy of note, since it was reworked with an eye to "improving performance and further reducing the likelihood of wheel spin."
The electronically-controlled system now features Instant Traction, Cummings explains, and that "improves the scope for quick getaways and provides enhanced traction on slippery surfaces. It has been developed by the Swedish company Haldex."
A non-return valve in the hydraulic control system prevents the AWD system from being completely drained of hydraulic fluid (and pressure) as the vehicle comes to a stop, Cummings says.
On takeoff, 59 lb-ft of torque is pre-charged in the system and that engages the rear wheels much faster than previous AWD systems, which Cummings says required wheel spin of a one-seventh turn of the front wheels before power was redistributed.
In short English, that means the 2006 S80 should provide quicker starts.
As for all all-wheel-drive, Cummings says the 2005 model year "demonstrated to us that Canadian appreciated the all-weather benefits of all-wheel-drive. Nearly two-thirds of all Volvo vehicles sold were equipped with the technology, and demand never seemed to waiver. With this generation all-wheel-drive system for 2006, we believe the drivetrain will be even more appealing to Canadians."
photo:Volvo Canada
The Toronto branch of the Swedish division of Detroit's Ford Motor Company says this move was taken to "reflect the growing consumer demand for luxury vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive."
Apparently, that meant the $62,895 T6 and its 268-hp V-6 had to go, and an improved all-wheel-drive system had to come.
S80 sales have dropped steadily in recent years, and so far this year they're running at less than half of what they were in 2004; by the end of June, Volvo Canada had sold 131 units of S80, down from 295 during the first five months of last year.
The remaining version of the S80 has the same price it had last year, but Volvo has added an improved all-wheel-drive system and repackaged the option choices. Now there's one extra-cost option, the Luxury Package at $3,900. This is essentially a compilation of two previous option packages and some stand-alone features.
The Luxury Package includes Dynamic leather upholstery, a power passenger seat, 17-inch alloy wheels, speed-sensitive steering, Bi-Xenon headlights, dynamic stability and traction control, a 12-speaker audio system, a rain sensor, a wooden steering wheel, a leather handbrake handle, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.
A DVD-based navigation system is the one remaining major option on the S80 for 2006, and it still costs $2,500.
Propulsive power for the S80 still comes from that 2.5-litre, inline-five with a low-pressure turbo that creates 208 hp at 5,000 rpm and 236 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm.
Volvo Canada boss Paul Cummings thinks the new all-wheel-drive system is worthy of note, since it was reworked with an eye to "improving performance and further reducing the likelihood of wheel spin."
The electronically-controlled system now features Instant Traction, Cummings explains, and that "improves the scope for quick getaways and provides enhanced traction on slippery surfaces. It has been developed by the Swedish company Haldex."
A non-return valve in the hydraulic control system prevents the AWD system from being completely drained of hydraulic fluid (and pressure) as the vehicle comes to a stop, Cummings says.
On takeoff, 59 lb-ft of torque is pre-charged in the system and that engages the rear wheels much faster than previous AWD systems, which Cummings says required wheel spin of a one-seventh turn of the front wheels before power was redistributed.
In short English, that means the 2006 S80 should provide quicker starts.
As for all all-wheel-drive, Cummings says the 2005 model year "demonstrated to us that Canadian appreciated the all-weather benefits of all-wheel-drive. Nearly two-thirds of all Volvo vehicles sold were equipped with the technology, and demand never seemed to waiver. With this generation all-wheel-drive system for 2006, we believe the drivetrain will be even more appealing to Canadians."
photo:Volvo Canada