- guardian.co.uk, Sunday July 20 2008 00.01 BST
- The Observer, Sunday July 20 2008
Volvo S80
£20,304
Miles per gallon: 49.6
Seats: 5
Good for: born agains
Bad for: porn barons
There are many thoughts that could flit across the mind of the owner of a forecourt-fresh motor: the smell of the leather, the glint of the polished bonnet, the lure of the long road ahead, the carpets still free of fromage frais and breadsticks. But few will be thinking of the disposal of their new car at the end of its life. And yet we should. An EC report has stated that by 2015 all cars should be 85 per cent recyclable and reusable. From material selection in the manufacturing and low-emission motoring, to its final journey to the knacker's yard, carmakers are being forced to consider a vehicle's entire life impact.
Over at Volvo, they didn't feel the need to wait another seven years to meet these targets. Like the class swot who hands in his homework days before it's due, Volvo made these grades in 2002. It's all part of the marque's 'clean inside and out' programme. This year its factories in Sweden and Belgium switched to green electricity in the form of hydropower; the steel, iron and aluminium used in construction is all from recycled sources, wherever possible - the plastic battery covers of old Volvos become the wheel-arch liners on new models for instance.
Now, the brand's top executive saloon is going green from cradle to grave. The comfy and classy S80 was 'refreshed' last year, and has now taken possession of a super-efficient 2-litre diesel engine, enabling it to do almost 50mpg, compared with the piffling 23.7mpg of the top-of-the-range, all-wheel drive
V8 version. A pair of constipated Friesians would produce more effluvium than this eco-conscious executive runaround.
The focus on cleanliness takes its toll on performance - the S80 is so unengaging it makes eating a bowl of noodles with your dentures out seem like an adrenaline sport. But if arriving safely at your destination - perhaps enjoying a lower-back massage and the benefits of a cool-ventilated seat - take priority, then the S80 can't be beat.
Safety is a mantra for Volvo and the cars take a zero-tolerance approach to danger. The Blind Spot Information System uses warning lights in the A-pillars to alert you when an overtaking vehicle is in your blind spot; Adaptive Cruise Control keeps you at a safe distance from the car in front, and a Personal Car Communicator has a transponder with a heartbeat sensor to let you know if someone is still in your Volvo after the alarm has been activated. The alternative being that it is a pulse-less zombie who has stolen it.
Volvo has also announced plans to introduce a City Safety system, which at speeds of under 19mph uses laser-sensor technology to detect vehicles up to 10 metres in front. If the gap between you and the car in front closes and you remain inactive, the car applies the brakes automatically. (Surveys show three-quarters of all collisions take place at speeds of under 18mph, and in half of them there is evidence the driver has not braked at all before.) It's all part of Volvo's plan to keep you - and its cars - out of that graveyard, no matter how eco-friendly it may be.
