Volvo S80 T6 AWD Summum (2011) – On the Dynamometer

Volvo family

Pieter comes from a real Volvo family, as it soon becomes apparent when we talk to him. An issue of the Volvo magazine comes out of the bag containing an article about the brand loyalty of the Van der Lindens. In the opening photo we see six Volvos with their proud owners. Pieter’s wife with her C30, his daughter with her V40, his son with his V40, his sister-in-law with her C70 and his brother next to a bright red V90 of the latest generation. And don’t forget a silver-gray S80. “I used to drive a lot of Ford and Opel cars and drove a lot of kilometers every year. In the early 1990s, a colleague recommended the Volvo 740 to me, but I thought it was a bit old-fashioned car. He had seen a white sedan somewhere and I ended up looking and driving. My preference has always been for sedans and after the test drive I was convinced. After that I always stayed with Volvo.

Lots of couple

This is my second S80. The previous one was a 3.2, also a six-cylinder. I briefly considered the V8, but the garage owner told me that the T6 is more reliable. Moreover, it has almost the same power as the eight-cylinder and in my case even more. When purchasing, I opted for tuning from Polestar, which is officially supplied by Volvo. This does not produce a lot of extra horsepower, but mainly extra torque. It should now have 329 hp and 480 Nm. There is a lot of pulling power, even at low speeds. I am curious whether he will keep the promises.”

Deep in the red

The engine range of this generation of S80 (2006-2016) is extensive, from a modest 1.6-liter economy diesel with 115 hp to a 4.4-liter V8 from Yamaha. As a petrol entry-level car, the Volvo has the same two-litre engine with 145 hp as a Ford Mondeo, but also wonderful five-cylinder engines, including diesels. And six-cylinder in-line engines, with a special feature: transverse, just like the eight-cylinder. “I was very satisfied with the previous S80 and immediately fell in love with the six-cylinder. The T6 goes a long way on top of that and is also quite economical. On long highway journeys at 100 km/h, this is 1 in 12.1.”

How does the Volvo S80 perform on the chassis dynamometer?

Head dynamometer Ghisbert van Ginhoven has anchored the Swedish powerhouse to the ground in The Hague with four tension straps and starts the measurements. Where tuning is often accompanied by loud roar, the Volvo keeps it to a modest, but also delightful growl. The six-cylinder engine seems to come into its element more and more as the speed increases and never before has the needle gone so far into the red. We are used to it by now and it doesn’t seem to bother Pieter either. The power remains slightly below Polestar’s promise, but the torque is impressive. “More than 100 Nm more than original and also well above Polestar’s target, that’s great. With this odometer reading, a Volvo has just been run in, the fans claim, and this result proves that. The next Volvo will probably be an S60, with a four-cylinder engine, but fortunately there is still a Porsche Boxster in the garage for enjoyment, with a six-cylinder boxer.”