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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 28, 2007 - 15 EVERYTHING Auto your guide to everything auto in Oakville By Lorne Drury OAKVILLE BEAVER SPECIAL INSIDE: Honda enveils small hybrid sports car at Geneva . . . . . . . . .Page 16 Suzuki to unveil 08 SX4 at New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 18 VW Tiguan to make word debut on the web . . . . . . . . . . .Page 18 luxury 2007 S80 takes Volvo to a new standard of Volvo has long been known for making safe and reliable automobiles. If you were to stop 10 people on the street and ask them what the Scandinavian automaker is known for, chances are most would put safety at the top of the list. That hasn't changed with the current crop of Volvos. They are still as safe and reliable as ever. What has changed, however, is the styling. Gone are the boxy, uninspiring models of the past, replaced by more modern, elegant designs. Case in point is the 2007 Volvo S80 sedan, flagship of the Volvo fleet. While the first generation S80, introduced in 1998, pointed Volvo in the right direction in the luxury car field, this new expression of 'Scandinavian luxury' puts the S80 right in the ballpark with the best that the rest of the world has to offer. Among the competitors are the Audi A6, BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-class, Acura RL and Lexus GS. While it's every bit a Volvo, the new S80 is a stunning looking car. And it now has the performance numbers to match the good looks with the addition of the first ever V8 in a Volvo sedan, an engine that was essential for the S80 to properly compete in the luxury sedan category. This 4.4-litre V8 is similar to the engine offered in the XC90 SUV. Produced in cooperation with Yamaha, this powerplant has 311 horsepower and 325 lb/ft of torque and is coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is standard across the board. All-wheel drive (AWD) is also standard, even on the base car, which comes with an all-new 3.2-litre V6, producing 232 horsepower and 221 lb/ft of torque. The 3.2-litre AWD version starts at $54,995. My tester was the V8 AWD model, which begins at Volvo now offers a V8 engine in its flagship model, the 2007 S80. All-wheel drive is standard on this luxury sedan that competes against cars such as the Audi A6 and BMW 5-series. $64,995. As tested, it topped out at $72,595. That's no small price tag, but this is a car that brings a lot to the table, including the latest in technology and safety features. Two of the most useful features are Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS). ACC is designed for highway use and includes a radar system to monitor the time interval between you and the vehicle in front. Simply set the cruising speed and the time interval and the system does the rest to maintain a constant distance between the two vehicles. BLIS uses digital cameras mounted outside on each of the door mirrors that monitor when a vehicle is approaching on either side. As a vehicle approaches your blind spot, the system alerts you with a light built into both front door posts. The system is activated once the car's speed exceeds 10 km/h and works both day and night. Unlike some of the new technology available today that is neat to have but rarely used, these are features that will come in handy on a daily basis. Since I do a lot of highway driving, the ACC was used regularly during my week with the S80. Ditto for the BLIS, which works in all types of driving situations and makes lane changes a much safer proposition. This is a feature I hope other manufacturers latch onto. EVERYTHIN Continued on Page 17 Another neat option is the Personal Car Communicator (PCC) that combines the ease of keyless drive and an interactive communications device. This little key fob makes locking, unlocking and starting the car effortless. It will also tell you if the alarm has been triggered or with the optional heartbeat sensor, it will even tell if someone is in the car. Safety features Other safety features available include a Collision Warning System that monitors the speed of the vehicle in front. If the S80 driver doesn't react on approaching a vehicle from the rear, a red light flashes on the windshield and an audible warning alerts the driver that action is needed immediately. If no action is taken, Brake Support is activated and the brake pads move against the discs in preparation for a hard stop. At the same time, the brake lights will flash to warn drivers behind. These are just a few of the innovations on the new S80 that simply add to Volvo's already stellar reputation for safety. As a result, Volvo hopes to win over many customers from the competition. They expect as much as 70 per cent of the average volume, or 50,000 cars a year will go to buyers who do not already drive Volvos. Volvo expects to sell about 1,000 S80s a year in Canada. OAKVILLE HONDA OFFERS A LARGE SELECTION OF PRE-OWNED VEHICLES. 2002 VW JETTA VR6 2002 HONDA CIVIC DX 2005 HYUNDAI ACCENT GL 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 4WD 5 speed, only 89,000 kms, air. Features the p p y power g group of options including power moonroof, finished in blue. 5 speed, only 79,000kms, air. Features spoiler, alloy wheels, p y finihsed in silver. Offered for Automatic, only 52,000 kms. Features the power group of y options. Finished in gray. Offered for Automatic, only 44,000 kms. Features the power grou of y options, 6 cyl. engine. Finished in blue. Offered for $13,900.00 Cars may not be exactly as shown. $11,900.00 Cars may not be exactly as shown. $9,900.00 Cars may not be exactly as shown. $23,900.00 Financing as low as 6.9% 500 Iroquois Shore Road, Oakville, ON 905-844-9831