by Cheryl Jensen

(1999-05-10)

While the biggest business news from Volvo is Ford Motor Co.'s purchase of the company, the biggest product news is Volvo's largest car ever, the S80. Also, for the first time ever, an all-wheel-drive sedan is part of the S70 lineup.

Late this year, two smaller cars that are already on sale in Europe - the S40 sedan and the V40 wagon - will come to the United States as 2000 models, priced around $25,000. Detailed information is not yet available.

All Volvos get a new "dual-threshold trigger system" for the front airbags. In a low-speed crash, the airbag does not deploy if occupants are wearing seat belts. Instead, the seat belts are automatically reeled in to remove slack and hold the occupants firmly. If the occupants are not wearing belts, the airbag does deploy. At higher speeds, the seat belts are automatically reeled in and the airbags deploy.

The S80 is the first of a family of vehicles built on a totally new platform that introduces Volvo's two-platform (small and large) strategy. The S80 is a front-wheel-drive luxury sedan that comes with a choice of two transversely mounted in-line six-cylinder engines. The base engine is a 201-hp, naturally aspirated 2.9-liter engine with an electronically controlled four-speed transmission. A T6 version is a 268-hp twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter with Geartronic automatic transmission for clutchless, manual shifting.

Stability and Traction Control to help provide sure acceleration from a standstill and at speed on slippery roads is standard equipment on all S80 models. Starting in January, a Dynamic Stability and Traction Control package with a skid-control system is available as an option.

The S80 comes with all the safety equipment for which Volvo is known - and more. The newest safety technology that comes as standard equipment includes an inflatable curtain to help protect the heads of front- and rear-seat occupants in the event of a side impact and specially designed front seats to help minimize whiplash injuries in low-speed rear-end collisions. The exterior and interior styling are completely new for Volvo and continue the move away from boxy that began with the C70 coupe and convertible, which were introduced last year.

The C70 coupe and convertible get many small safety and performance enhancements for 1999. The coupe now gets the light-pressure turbocharged 20-valve five-cylinder engine, which has been standard in the convertible. Horsepower is rated at 190 and maximum torque is 199 lb-ft at a relatively low 1800 rpm.

In S70 and V70 (previously the 850 line) news, Volvo has added the all-wheel-drive technology developed for its station wagons to one of its sedans: the S70 GLT. The V70 R all-wheel-drive wagon got a boost in engine power from 236 to 246 hp.

The rear-wheel-drive S90 sedan and V90 wagon were discontinued last year.