TAKING a big premium saloon on a European adventure, might not seem thebest idea in the world, given the rocketing price of fuel. But the latest incarnation of Volvo's flagship S80 proved a pleasantsurprise.

This luxury cruiser was the mode of transport for a week of continentaldriving and a proper test of manufacturer claims against the realitiesof a 1,000 mile round trip.

The S80 has been revamped with a lower chassis for better drivingcharacteristics and has also seen two new diesel variations added to therange.The two variants of the 2.4 litre, five cylinder turbo diesel units onthe S80 develop 175PS and 205PSrespectively, which is a lot of power, therefore theoretically making it agas guzzler.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. The big Volvo iscertainly powerful and it was able to put a smile on my face and keepplenty of euros in the wallet with a superb display of fuel economy.

From a full fuel tank, I had completed 530 miles before reluctantlypulling in to a Belgian station for refuelling - and even then theonboard computer was showing a range of 70 miles with average mpg of 44mpg, better than the official figure. Carbon dioxide emissions are alsolow at 164g/km, putting into the 23 per cent company car bracket.

Given that the majority of the driving was on motorways and onunrestricted motorways in Germany, it was a perfect demonstration of justhow economical the car was.

If Volvo has got it right with the engines, the rest of the car stand upto scrutiny pretty well too.Long gone are the bulky tank-like looks of the Swedish icon. They havebeen replaced by sleek and sporty styling that features neat lightclusters with a revamped front end.It has a powerful and even athletic look not normally associated with bigpremium saloons.

The interior is also excellent, featuring high-quality fixtures andfittings, and leather interior.It features the bridge-style console seen on other Volvos and a simple,but effective and uncluttered dashboard and dial layout.

As you would expect with a car of this price, standards goodies areextensive andthe sat nav, after a taking a while to work out, proved on the best I haveused,particularly when navigating big European cities.

The improved ride from the lower body is evident and the car feelscomfortable andstable even on the roughest or roads and feel stable and composed whencornering.The steering could do with more feedback, but otherwise, the car isexcellent to drive.Wind, engine and road noise are all but absent, which is a boon on longmotorway journeys.

The quality leather seats are particularly comfortable and five adults canbeseated in comfort, however the boot is slightly disappointing at 422litres. This can be improved by folding the rear seats, but is far fromclass-leading.

On the road the 2.4-litre engine proved quick as well as economical. The0-60mph sprint takes just 8.5 seconds while the car is capable of atop speed of 143mph. Something I did not try to achieve, even on theGerman motorway network.

Volvo is also synonymous with safety and the S80 features a comprehensivelist of safety equipment, which includes driver, passenger and sideairbags, plus stability programmes and traction control.