It is with this phrase quite suave, attributed to American filmmaker Woody Allen, the start of our account of the Volvo S80 2012. Now completely decommissioned technically its immediate rivals are evolving, the great Swedish sedan has stalled for years and lost today in almost complete anonymity.

The sales figures show, the Volvo S80 2012 is in freefall, and nothing suggests that the changes in this model for 2012 will be sufficient to turn the tide. In fact, these changes are limited to details of presentation and integration of security systems developed for the newer Volvo models. Thus, the Volvo S80 2012 Executive announces version, with the addition of leather on the dashboard and on the inner panels of the doors, which is a first for the brand. Functions of ventilation and massage were added to the front seats, carpets are thicker and can be ordered with an optional refrigerator located at the rear of the cabin as well as two Swedish crystal glasses.

In terms of dynamics, nothing has changed on the Volvo S80 2012 continues to offer a sanitized driving to the extreme because of the intervention of highly authoritarian system stability control. In fact, it goes into action as soon as the driver turns his head to operate a little bit the performance potential of the car. In addition, the Volvo S80 2012 AWD T6 prioritizes the distribution of traction to the front wheels during normal driving in a proportion of 95%, while allowing for varying this distribution to deliver traction equal to the front and rear if necessary.

Add to this a direction that provides good tracking in a straight line, but lacks sensitivity curves, and you have the portrait of a luxury car whose conduct is rather numb or sanitized rather than player. As the Volvo S80 2012 weighs more than two tons, it also explains its relative lack of energy and its consumption ratings high, no matter how busy the database engine what the anemic six-cylinder 3.2 liter 235 horsepower or the inline six-cylinder 3.0-liter turbo that develops 300. It is the latter that is best suited to the weight and size of the Volvo S80 2012.

During my visit to the Auto Show in Shanghai in the spring of 2011, I attended the Volvo stand at the unveiling of the Concept Universe, a concept car for more than 5 meters in length, which seems to have been created is to announce the arrival of the possible successor to the Volvo S80 2012, or to reflect the new direction of the Swedish brand in style. Up front, the Concept Universe displays a unique grille for the brand with a series of rectangles with rounded corners on which is located the traditional diagonal band adorned with the badge of the brand.

According to Peter Horbury, who has returned to head the design department of the Swedish brand after several years at Ford, the style of the Concept Universe is Invoice authentically Scandinavian, without pretensions or fireworks. Following things confused, however in some vagueness, since very little information has been revealed about this concept car, or on the intentions of the brand to go ahead or not with a also large sedan. We therefore expect the following things regarding the possible replacement for the current Volvo S80 2012.

Volvo S80 2012: Eternity Is Long, Especially Towards The End