CHOICE OF LUXURY

VOLVO S80 VS AUDI A6 VS BMW 520D VS MECEDES E220

INTRODUCTION
The cars you will see here are for those looking to buy an executive luxury sedan around 40 lacs. Buyers of these cars are more likely to give priority to comfort, performance, quality and status.

ORIGIN
Volvo AB Volvo is a Swedish manufacturer of trucks, buses, cars and other construction equipment . Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems. It was officially founded on 14 th April 1927, when its first car the Volvo OV 4 Series rolled out of the factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. In 1999 Volvo sold its car division to Ford Motor Company , and again in 2010 Ford sold Volvo to a Chinese manufacturer Geely Automobiles. Audi Audi AG has been a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG since 1966.The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create the company Audi . It was founded in Germany in 16 th July 1909.

 Mercedes BENZ It is a multinational division of the German manufacturer Daimler AG , and the brand is used for luxury automobiles , buses and trucks. It is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. The Mercedes Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz s and Gottlieb Daimler s companies into the Daimler Benz company BMW- Its a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1917. BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It also owns and produces the Mini brand, and is the parent company of Rolls Royce Motor Cars.

VOLVO S80
The S80 is the oldest car here and that is visible in its traditional design. Its conservative , but does have an understated elegance about it. The clearly defined V on the bonnet looks great and the broad-shouldered stance gives the S80 a good presence. The S80s D3 motor is nicely refined and you wont notice any of the vibrations.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Five cylinder turbo diesel engine Six speed automatic transmission Front wheel drive 136 horsepower Torque - 1500 to 2750 rpm 0 to 100 kmph in 12.01 seconds Power - 161 bhp at 3500 rpm

AUDI A6
The A6 is the longest and widest car here. Details like the tightly cut grille, sweeping roof and elongated taillights work to give the A6 its distinct design. Its a pity the brilliantly detailed full-LED headlamps cost a whopping Rs 2.79 lakh extra.

 The Audi A6 represents an admirable mix of attention getting style , entertaining driving dynamics and opulent furnishings. A6s primary strength is its cabin. Materials are first rated and overall design is nothing short of class. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
4 cylinder turbo diesel engine 8 speed CVT Transmission Front wheel drive 211 horsepower Torque 1750-2500 rpm 0 to 100 in 9.05 seconds Power 184 bhp at 4200 rpm

MERCEDES E220
The E-class quartet of headlamps have been carried over and adapted from the W210 model, meaning you can identify the car from a mile away. However, the tipped-forward stance makes the big E look athletic. Mercedes still somehow manages to look the most elegant here.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
4 cylinder turbo diesel engine

Six speed automatic transmission

Rear wheel drive 170 horsepower Torque 1400 2800 rpm 0 to 100 kmph in 9.43 seconds Power 170 bhp at 3000 rpm

BMW 520D
The kidney shaped grille, ringed lights, kinked headlamps and L-shaped taillight are traditional BMW cues on the latest 5-series. It may make it look like a shrunken 7-series, but by no means is that a bad thing.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
4 cylinder turbo diesel engine 6 speed automatic transmission

Rear wheel drive

163 horsepower Torque 1750 to 2750 rpm 0 to 100 in 9.09 seconds Power 181 bhp at 4000 rpm

Unity in diversity
The Audi, BMW and Mercedes place their in-line fourcylinder diesel engines and like all other Volvos, the S80 mounts its in-line five-cylinder motor transversely. Volvo claims this arrangement is the safest in a crash. There is no Quattro hardware on this A6, so all the power is sent to the front wheels, just as on the Volvo. Its the Mercedes and BMW that stick to the traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.

COMFORT CLASS
The Volvos suspension does clunk over bumps but manages to do a good job of filtering out surface imperfections, at least at low speeds. But as you go faster the Volvo wallows and the up-and-down movement, though smooth, takes away from the whole experience. The BMW bobs a fair bit too and this only increases with speed. To its credit, the 520d boasts an excellent low-speed ride. It smoothens out surface imperfections with ease and thats despite the disadvantage of the stiff sidewalls of its run-flat tyres.

 Surprisingly, it is the Mercedes that feels the stiffest at slow speeds. However, up the pace and the E-class comes into its own. The ride becomes utterly flat and the suspension goes about its business with minimal noise. Set the Audis air suspension to Comfort and it will steamroll all but the sharpest bumps, and it s on these where you can feel the Audis light aluminum body shudder. In the sportier Dynamic mode, the ride becomes flat and that makes it better suited to highway use.

ENGINE POWER IN CC

FUEL ECONOMY

kmpl

FUEL CAPACITY

litres

GEAR SPEED

PRICE TALLY

*Ex showroom price- Delhi

FACT FILE

DECISION TIME
Viewed in isolation, the Volvo makes a compelling case for itself. Unfortunately, when benchmarked against the best, the S80 does not shine in any particular area, which is why you wouldnt mind paying the extra few lakhs to buy into the more premium brands here.

The BMW 5-series has much strength. Chief among these are its well-built cabin, fantastic engine-gearbox combination and an engaging drive. But for all its positives, the BMW doesn t feel all that spacious in the back and that s where most owners are likely to spend a whole lot of their time in deciding.

 If rear-seat comfort is your number one priority, look no further than the Mercedes-Benz E220 CDI. The big Benz manages to really pamper occupants though the air-conditioning is just too slow to cool as compared to the other three cars. That brings us to the Audi A6. Rear-seat comfort could be better, but on almost all other counts, the A6 is at the top or close to the top of the charts. Its brilliantly executed cabin is sure to make every journey all the more special. It is good fun to drive too. So whether its the front seat or back, it s the Audi that will feel like money well spent.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
If it takes you to safety the Volvo is well equipped for that. If you are more interested about the power and a great driving experience the BMW is a great option. If you are looking for a traditional brand image and keep on the extra addition to power and quality the Mercedes is amazing for it.

If you are looking for the best performing car among these considering the price, comfort, looks and an overall performance including power and safety the Audi A6 has a serious beat over the others. So we recommend the Audi A6 is the best rated car among these executive luxury sedans.

THANK YOU
Prepared By: Jiten Bhansali- A005 Jeet Buddhdev- A009 Avilash Vishal Mishra- A026