Velvet smooth S80 oozes class

And there certainly are more than enough options to choose from, particularly for those who are not married to a badge and who are mature enough to look beyond ego and image.

The swing is already here with quite a bit of classy car spend beginning to go the way of Chrysler, Cadillac, Jaguar, Lexus and Volvo.

No surprises here, because most of them are as highly-specced and as well-built as the German threesome. What's more, it's becoming quite the in-thing to be seen be brave, or clever enough, to be different when it comes to choosing a car.

And you can't fault the ones who are breaking away from the herd who say: “Why pay R565,000 for a Merc 350 Elegance when you can pick up a new Cadillac CTS for R165,000 less”.

The way the financial markets are going, R165,000 invested in the money market at 11% makes a lot more Rand-sense than sticking it into an investment which is going to drop in value by more than 20% the minute you drive it out of the dealer's showroom.

One of the stalwarts in the top-end saloon market has always been Volvo, a brand that prides itself in build quality, good service, reliability and high safety standards.

No longer the subject of derision, today's Volvo's are light years ahead of the boring boxes they used to be way back then when they acquired a reputation for being old men's cars.

Sure, in the looks department most Volvo's still won't push your heart's rev counter into the red, but the S80, certainly, has a definite classy elegance and executive presence about it.

The Volvo brand has always been about roomy, comfortable living quarters and in this department the S80 excels with seats that are as comfortable as the well-worn leather chairs one finds in a British Gentlemen's Club.

Our light gold test vehicle was decked out in baby-bum soft leather, the colour of whipped cream, nicely off-set by wood and chrome.

The sheer size of the cabin is accentuated by the car's big windows which seem to add to the feeling of lightness and space. Clever people, the Swedes, for they learnt long ago how to create the most from the least.

I recently spent a few days at the wheel of one of the flagships in the Volvo stable, the 3.0-litre S80. This model retails for R516,000, and it slots in between the entry-level S80 at R437,500 and the flagship S80 V8 executive at about R618,000.

It appealed to me from the minute the driver door shut with a solid thud.

In terms of living space the S80 is one of the best in this class and this is particularly noticeable in the back.

The cabin is dominated by the typically Volvo central hang-down housing for switches and dials. Some people find Volvo's lay-out too simple, too bland. I like it for its simplicity and functionality, which is in sharp contrast to so many modern cars which seem to be locked in constant battle to add more fizz and whizz and driver frustration to their cabins.

A source of irritation which one would not expect of a car in this price bracket is that the front passenger seat is not electronically adjustable whilst the driver's is.

Also immediately noticeable is that it lacks a number of features now found on many vehicles much less expensive than the S80, including a sunroof, keyless entry and a paddle-shift function on the steering-wheel.

Out on the road the Volvo really impresses with its comfortable, quiet ride… it just cruises along with hardly a hint of wind, engine or road noises penetrating the well-insulated cabin.

And there is nothing sleepy about this gentleman's auto either. Stamp down the go-fast pedal and you will be pleasantly surprise at the kick of the 3.0-litre, 210kW/ 400Nm turbo-charged six-cylinder up front.

Although it will do the 0-100km/h sprint in well under 7 seconds it does get a little out-of-breath from then onwards and I am not to sure of the manufacturer's claim that it will go all the way to 250 km/h…. but then I am not going to risk a night in jail to prove them wrong.

Besides, the sort of tie-and-cravat chap who drives a Volvo is never going to drive like a bat out of hell in it.

What was also appealing was the smoothness of the six-speed auto box. You can, of course, play with it and use it as a manual, but that sort of defeats the object of owning a car like this, doesn't it?

Being a large, rather heavy beast the S80 is never going to have razor sharp steering or corner like a hot hatch or one of the blitzy German sedans. The steering has always been a tad lifeless and that hasn't changed much, but the road holding is really quite good, thanks to the cling of all-wheel drive.

What I really found ugly and awkward is the rather large wagon-wheel steering wheel… it looks and feels clumsy and terribly old-fashioned.

At R516,000 the S80 seems a touch over-priced, particularly as it is lacking in a number of specifications generally found in cars way below this class.

Having said that, there is no doubt that it will find favour with a specific type of buyer, particularly those planning to keep it for at least five years or longer.

As a classy, comfortable and quiet cruiser, built to exacting standards, it is in a class of its own.

Included in the price is a five-year/100,000km maintenance plan.