Test drive Volvo S80 2006 - 2008 sedan

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Choosing a large sedan, many traditionally prefer German classics. But is it worth it to be like a majority when there is a chance to show individuality?
After all, there is a decent alternative to a banal solution. In the person, for example, the elegant Citroeon C6, delightfully brutal Chrysler 300C or safe, like Swedish matches, Volvo S80
The French can do beautiful cars! Let it be half a century, but they give a masterpiece. For the amazing appearance, the heir to the Divine DS, which returned Citrooon, the location of the powers that be, can be forgiven literally everything. Even an insulting price for the indispensable brand. Even dangerous and roughly distorting the reality of the rear -view mirror. Although there are usually no problems with restructuring: of course, you may not notice someone, but the interested car about the traffic to the driver is so rare even for Moscow is guaranteed to be guaranteed.
Another thing is 300C. The sightseeing in it is also far from perfect, as in the tank approximately. And by respectful interest of others, the American is not caressed. So there is only one way: the face is brick and go! Fortunately, the exterior of the Chrysler flagship is suitable. And it is good that the recent restyling of the appearance of the car practically did not touch (updated cars that appeared at dealers in February are distinguished only by an extended choice of body color and other design of cast discs). Let it remain a charismatic monster.
Everything is better than looking averaged by mediocrity. May the acting and potential agents 008 be forgiven for me, but against the background of such bright rivals, the Swedish sedan looks just that. No, the car itself is very good. And having all -wheel drive and being stuffed with all kinds of high -tech electronic systems, it justifies the manufacturer’s applications for belonging to the premium class.
On the electronics, by the way, I would like to dwell in more detail. Indeed, in addition to banal systems for facilitating braking and maintaining exchange rate stability in the Arsenal S80 there is a lot of interesting things. Take, for example, radars. One helps to park, the other monitors the distance to the car walking in front, warning the driver about dangerous rapprochement with light and sound signals. Not a car, but a radar station!
But there are also cameras in the rear -view mirrors that control the so -called dead zones. Some object on the front rack will fall into their field of view anxiously blushing the red bulb. And he will bring to the nervous tick, since the angle of the viewing assistant has a very wide one, and it is not able to distinguish associated cars from oncoming ones (and just a vehicle from the pillar).
VOLVO rivals cannot boast of anything like that. Although there is no active cruise control in the Chrysler 300C option list. Cracking, you know, a thing. Not only supports the given speed, but it disperses or slows down the car, agreeing with the road situation. Let's say you catch up with the car, the radar detects it, and, getting to the agreed distance (selected when the system is activated), your crew independently reduces the speed. It does not sign it with high light, does not hang on the tail, demanding to free the road, simply slow down, aligning the speed.
The beauty? Exactly. Not for our roads. This is there, in foreign countries, good and clean. And our fate is every minute to stop and wipe the sensors with a cloth, puzzled by an abomination flying from under the wheels of passing transport.
But all the same, such achievements of civilization are a great thing! If I also steam myself, one could calmly pour in the back seat. And to do this in our case is best in Citroeon. He sat down, choosing the most comfortable pose (without fidgeting in an armchair, but changing its slope using electric drives), installed pleasant weather, conjuring over the individual blocking of the climatic system and clicking on the heating of the seat, strokes his head on the side headrest with two degrees of adjustment and sleep Calm, dear comrade! And if the legs are long in the back of the chair rest, so it does not matter move him forward. To do this, there is a special button in the central armrest.
However, even without all these attributes of luxury offered for a surcharge (54,000 rubles), in the framework of the Lounge option, the C6 salon is quite comfortable and spacious. But in Chrysler there are even more places. It is not surprising: having a wheelbase of three with a tail of a meter and a total body length of more than five meters, 300C formally falls into the category of a representative class (segment F). True, this does not give any special advantages except the living space itself. The massive leather sofa does not differ with special convenience, and only the blowing and a central armrest with a couple of cup holders are available from comfortable elements. One hope for a new informational and entertainment multimedia system Mygig.
However, there was no 300C test on the test (it began to offer it for a surcharge on restyled machines). But the Volvo passengers did not have to exclude boredom. While the driver stoically overcame the capital's traffic jams, they watched the movie. The DVD player in a boxing box between the front seats and the screens integrated into the head restraint perfectly brightened up a long road. So carried away by viewing that they did not even particularly complain about tightness. Although the legs for the legs on the rear seats S80 compared to competitors are not in abundance.
But the driver is good: the selection of landing without problems, the chubby steering wheel asks. Still, the seats were a little tougher. In general, the Swede seemed against the backdrop of rivals the most driver. It is understandable: I had to ride a top version with a 4.4-liter 315-horsepower V-shaped eight and all-wheel drive. Although with more democratic engines (in the range of power units there are four more atmospheric and turbo engine with a capacity of 145285 horsepower) the Volvo flagship behaves very well. Thanks to the changed steering settings and suspension, the car is able to adapt to the mood of the driver. Do you want to make a bush? No problem! Choose High mode in the user settings menu, click the Advanced button on the Active Channel Control Slavo and you're done. The steering wheel is filled with informative heaviness, and compressed shock absorbers perfectly hold the body in corners. Tired of ride on the washing board (and this is how our roads are perceived with active driving S80) come back to a comfortable regime.
True, such comfort and smoothness, as in Citroeon with its patented hydropneumatic suspension, neither Volvo nor Chrysler is able to provide. Yes, and get on a high border without risk to tear off the bumper or damage the engine crankcase, unlike C6, they will not help (competitors have no changed road clearance). Although the royal is this business on the borders to jump? A car on which presidents are not shy to drive (here is Nicolas Sarkozy, for example), should magnificently float over the road. But you can accelerate. Fortunately, the activation button of sports modes of automatic transmission and suspension at hand. The capacity of the 3-liter 215-horsepower V6 is enough for active driving. The steering wheel is quite informative. And the spoiler automatically advanced from the lid of the trunk, which is automatically advanced from the lid of the trunk, helps to stabilize.
But what about our American? He is a very muscular. Especially if under the hood is hidden not the basic 193-horsepower 2.7 V6, but the 6.1-liter 431-horsepower V8 from the Street Racing Technology. Or even a more modest 340-horsepower eight 5.7 hemi. However, the character of the Chrysler 300C character is also revealed by the optimal in terms of price and quality ratio 3.5-liter six (250 hp). And it is not easy for the car, combining quite decent dynamics with not the most honed handling. Well, at least the stabilization system is competently configured. I don’t know about the street, but this monster is quite suitable for dragrasing.
 
Citroeon Citroe C6
In the tests of the EURONCAP association, the flagship Citroeon earned 5 stars (34 points). Which, however, is no wonder a strong body, belts with pretense and 9 airbags. In the frontal crash test, the car received 14 points (88%), and in the lateral maximum possible 17 points (98%). It protects C6 and small passengers: the safety of children traveling, of course, in special chairs, experts rated 38 points (4 stars). The pedestrian rating (28 points) is equally high, which the hood bouncing when hitting a person was helping.
Crash test Chrysler 300C
The EURONCAP Association did not conduct tests of this large American sedan. However, the NHTSA crash tests withstood the car with honor, receiving the maximum 5 stars for protecting the driver and passenger in imitation of the front collision (frontal blow to the concrete wall at a speed of 56 km/h). 300C is well protected from the flanks: the driver’s safety is estimated at 4 stars, and the rear passenger of 5 stars. Note that the tests were modified without side airbags, which are included in the standard equipment of Russian machines.
Krash-test Volvo S80
The Swedish second-generation business bar in Europe has not yet been beaten. The EURONCAP test report is available only to its predecessor. Then, in 2000, S80 received a rather high rating of 4 stars. About how the new S80 protects the driver and passengers, can be judged by the results of a series of crash tests of the American Road Safety Institute (IIHS) spent in the summer of last year. The car earned maximum grades, being safe enough in all types of collisions and showing a low tendency to overturning.
Citroeon C6
+ Elegant appearance, comfortable interior, excellent smoothness.
- Unknown devices, a complex suspension design, poor visibility in mirrors.
Chrysler 300c
+ The ability to choose a very powerful engine, bright design, energy -intensive suspension.
- Disadvantages of controllability at high speeds, poor visibility, is uneconomable.
Volvo S80
+ A wide selection of power units, a lot of high -tech options, good handling.
- Very expensive in good configuration, tightness from behind, low economy.
Andrey Tsybulsky
Author photo: Yan Segal
 

A source: Mkobil magazine [March 2008]