Volvo S80 and V70 2.5FT: With 200Hp Flexfuel E85 Engine

Swedish carmaker Volvo is expanding its flexfuel line-up with the introduction of S80 and V70 2.5FT, both of which are equipped with a 5-cylinder, 2.5-litre turbocharged Flexifuel engine delivering 200 hp and 300 Nm of torque. The Flexifuel cars can run on E85 bioethanol or 95-octane unleaded petrol - or any mix of these two fuels.

Volvo says that from a technological viewpoint, it would have been possible to reach a higher output, but that would have translated in higher fuel consumption. The EU combined figure for both the S80 and V70 2.5T is 9.2 l/100 km or 25.6 MPG with the manual gearbox and 10.2 l/100 km or 23.0 MPG (V70) and 10.1 l/100 km or 23.3 MPG (S80) with the automatic gearbox. No thanks to its lower energy content, fuel consumption when running on E85 is approx 30-40% higher than when running on petrol.

2009 Volvo S80 & XC90 Executive Models

For the 2009 model year, Volvo is enhancing its most exclusive line-up, the S80 and XC90 Executive models with the addition of massage and ventilation functions in the front seats along with a range of improved materials and trim details.

Though it would have been nice if Volvo offered a nice tall Swedish blonde gal to do the massage, the front seats are actually equipped with five built-in inflatable pockets built that pump and drain sequentially to create a wave-like motion (adjustable at two hardness levels) that massages the lower back. -Continued

Other upgrades on the S80 and XC90 Exclusive models include new upholstery in perforated soft hide; new lumbar support setting that uses the same inflatable cushions for adjusting the massage function; centre console cover in soft leather; 8" wide VGA LCD screens integrated into the rear of the front seat headrests instead of the previous 7" units and a new analogue clock set into the wood inlay in the instrument panel.

Furthermore, S80 Executive gets additional ambient lighting in the door panels and storage compartments, and in the front cup holders and along the floor by the front seat, aluminium sliding cover in the front console and updated crystal glasses with an engraved Executive emblem. Finally the XC90 Executive features new hand-sewn leather in the door handles.

Volvo UK Announces Prices On New 2.0-Litre V70 & S80

Volvo has revealed pricing on its new entry-level 2.0-litre engines in the V70 estate and S80 sedan. The 2.0-litre common rail diesel generates 136PS and 320Nm of torque and is equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter as standard while its gasoline equivalent produces 145PS and 190Nm of torque.

Prices for the petrol derivative will start from £24,995 in the Volvo V70 and £23,495 in the S80, while the diesel powerplant is priced at £25,495 and £23,995 in the Volvo V70 and S80 respectively. Available to order now ready for January delivery, both four cylinder engines have been introduced to widen the appeal of both cars and are expected to account for up to 60% of all Volvo V70 and S80 UK sales.