From the July 1982 problem of Automobile and Driver.

When Volvos first rolled ashore in these United States simply over 25 years in the past, they had been enthusiastically acquired as a result of they reminded Individuals of American vehicles. They appeared like ’47 Fords, had the identical form of guts, and ran sooner. There was an American temperament concerning the Volvo, albeit about 10 years behind what Detroit was doing within the marshmallow years of the late Fif­ties, and we Yanks welcomed Volvos in a means we by no means did the Saabs, Peugeots, English Fords, and Mercedes-Benzes of the time.

With the brand new 760GLE, you would possibly say that Volvo is returning to its American methods. From the sedan’s squarish seem­ance, you would possibly even say it is the Ameri­can automotive of the longer term, Volvo having tak­en GM’s creased-and-folded look one step additional within the evolution. May this be what GM will do subsequent? And a few would say it is an enchancment over the current A-body design as a result of the Volvo is constantly sharp-cornered whereas the abruptness of the Movie star-6000-Ciera-Century roofline is just not faithfully continued within the decrease physique. In any case, in case you flip the Volvo aspect­methods, you see the identical ramp nostril, stiff rear-window angle, and excessive tail of the GM intermediates, and this look is rap­idly turning into as acquainted to Individuals because the molded–Jell-O profile of the ’47 Ford was in Volvo’s early days.

The brand new Volvo can be nearly identi­cal in dimension to the brand new GM A-body, which places it proper within the mainstream of Amer­ican vehicles. Its size and width are akin to the A-body dimen­sions inside about an inch, although the Volvo is 2.7 inches taller and has 4.1 inches extra wheelbase. The additional dis­tance between the wheels hold the rear wheelhouses from biting into the cor­ners of the rear seat. This can be a downsized Volvo, 4.0 inches shorter and roughly 75 kilos lighter than the GLE it replaces, but it is nonetheless as huge as—and a bit heavier than—the lat­est American intermediates. Early Volvos had been comparatively small vehicles; to­day’s should not.

Early Volvos made no pretension to luxurious both. The 760GLE is a top-of­-the-line mannequin, the most effective Volvo’s acquired, a direct competitor with the underside finish of the Mercedes spectrum in Europe. Right here it is meant to tiptoe proper as much as the $20,000 mark (costs have but to be introduced) with a full load of kit, together with leather-based seats, local weather management, AM/FM/cassette stereo, energy win­dows, energy sunroof, cruise management, central locking system, bun-warmer seats, and so forth., and so forth. That will or will not be your thought of royal therapy, nevertheless it positive leaves the ersatz-Ford days behind.

By the way in which, this new mannequin replaces solely the top-of-the-line CLE within the Volvo lineup, leaving the remainder of the outdated­-style vary intact. Considerably, the 760 can be the one Volvo bereft of mud flaps, which may restrict its enchantment to traditionalists.

Peeling off the mud flaps is claimed to be an aerodynamic consideration. As a by­product, it additional Americanizes (per­haps de-Swedes is extra correct) the looks. However when you look beneath the pores and skin, the 760 continues to be very a lot a Volvo. There was no following of the Individuals to entrance drive. A longitu­dinal engine and a strong rear axle make up the drivetrain, simply as earlier than. There are two engine selections for America: the all-aluminum 2.8-liter V-6 that Volvo has been sharing with Renault and Peugeot for years, and the two.4-li­ter inline-six diesel from Volkswagen, utilized by Volvo since 1980 however newly turbocharged for the 760. The turbo pumps output to 106 horsepower at 4800 rpm, making this a peppy little unit and one of many quickest diesels going. Transmis­sion selections are restricted to an automated with the V-6, modernized with a button on the aspect of the shift deal with to summon or reject the overdrive because the driv­er sees match. The diesel may be backed up with both a three-speed automated or a four-speed-plus-overdrive guide.

We sampled a few of every in our check­ing: a guide diesel camouflaged by the older 260GLE physique, and a 760GLE with a Euro-spec V-6 and an automat­ic. The diesel was about the appropriate weight for an American-spec 760, and it was a nice runner, clocking 60 mph in 11.8 seconds. First gear is on the brief aspect for something however drag racing or trailer pulling; beginning in second works nice in regular driving. Additionally, the turbo has appreciable lag in routine visitors until you retain the engine buzzing. However you all the time know when to anticipate outcomes, as a result of you’ll be able to hear the compressor spooling up like some outdated J-47 beneath the hood.

The fuel model was even faster at 9.2 seconds to 60 mph, however this might be a really optimistic estimate of what to anticipate from a U.S.-spec model, because the automotive was down at the least 60 kilos from the true factor and the engine was considerably stronger. The automated is form of enjoyable, nevertheless; it shifts firmly, each up and down, with not one of the dithering between gears that we discover on a number of the allegedly extra sophisticat­ed bins. The O.D. button is admittedly solely a lockout, nevertheless, permitting the motive force to stop the transmission from auto­matically choosing cruising gear. For ef­ficiency’s sake it is most likely the most effective course to go away that button unpushed.

A fast take a look at the suspension finds MacPherson struts in entrance and an axle with trailing arms in again, the same old Volvo stuff. However in truth there are numerous minor revisions. Optimistic camber has been lowered to zero from 0.8 diploma in entrance, and caster has been elevated to five.0 from 3.5 levels, which ought to give the entrance tires extra cornering chew and extra really feel within the steering. Alloy wheels with better offset (within the route that narrows the observe) cut back the scrub ra­dius to twenty-eight mm from 37 mm. This nonetheless produces a constructive radius (the tire con­tact patch outboard of a line via the higher and decrease strut pivots), as op­posed to the adverse radius now fash­ionable on front-drive vehicles, nevertheless it ought to enhance stability when one aspect of the automotive brakes throughout a slipperier sur­face than the opposite. Different modifications in­clude extra correct Ackermann angles and a rack-and-pinion gear mounted very low within the automotive. The payoff right here is that the gear may be contained inside the entrance crossmember for cover. Furthermore, the slack that develops from put on within the gear can have minimal impact on the wheels.

Notable within the rear are a pair of axle-­stabilizing torque hyperlinks that connect to an enormous bracket that, in flip, is rubber-iso­lated from the physique. That is designed to enhance experience with out sacrificing management of the axle. There are additionally height-level­ing shock absorbers.

How does all this reengineering really feel to the motive force? Positive. No issues. The 760 nonetheless acts like a Volvo, though it is a bit crisper within the steering. And body-roll angles appear higher managed. However this latest of Volvos isn’t any Ford within the experience division. It is decidedly direct in the way in which it transmits chuckholes, growth strips, and particular person pebbles to the seat of your pants. Actual U.S.-spec vehicles can have low-rolling-resistance Pirelli P8s within the 185/65R-15 dimension; there have been 195/60 P6s on the Euro automotive we drove. This may change the experience some, however there’s little likelihood it should turn out to be plush.

Any plushness that you just really feel will likely be a product of the inside. Very probably, you’ll not be upset. Leather-based has a means of profitable over nearly everybody, and the 760’s broad horizontal pleats give it a luxurious look (velour is customary on the Euro mannequin). The entrance seats are usually Volvo, with advert­justments for backrest angle, peak, and lumbar stiffness. The cushions are considerably softer and fewer supportive than these of the outdated GLE, that are pretty much as good as automotive seats come. A few of us preferred the brand new seats much less.

The 760’s rear seats are magnificent by any customary. They’re extraordinarily high-chair-height certainly­ and remarkably agency. The truth that the fuel tank and rear suspension are proper beneath has so much to do with this. Nonetheless, although you’re positioned excessive, the place you’ll be able to see ahead over the motive force’s shoulder, you continue to have loads of head and knee room even in case you’re a six-footer. The undersides of the entrance buckets have been scooped out for shoe clearance, so you’ll be able to put your ft nicely ahead. The whole lot is copacetic again there.

It isn’t dangerous in entrance both. The low beltline eliminates the confining feeling of outdated Volvo interiors. The driving posi­tion is nice. The sprint is very like that of previous Volvos, however extra advanced. Now there are 5 dials within the instrument cluster as an alternative of three, and we’re conscious of extra grilles within the vent system, creases within the molded padding, and knock-out panels for yet-to-be-added switches—extra advanced however not bewil­dering. There is a continuity of fashion right here that previous Volvo house owners will recog­nize instantly.

We would wish to see a couple of enhancements within the 760. The physique of this specific automotive is a bit clattery, and wind rush is conspicuous across the A-pillars. The experience would not fairly appear as much as 1983 stan­dards both. However maybe this stuff will likely be much less objectionable when the official U.S. fashions roll on this fall.

In any case, this new Volvo is just not a automotive of surprises. Like its predecessors, it eschews the fashionable in favor of a com­mon-sense method to automotive constructing. That theme has attracted a reasonably sub­stantial throng of patrons through the years, and if any of them have $20,000, it ought to proceed to work with the 760.