IT'S a sign of the times, with fuel prices in the stratosphere, that executive cars are being chosen as much for fuel economy as outright performance.

Obviously luxury is still a key as is the kudos of the name and for business users, better fuel economy means lower emissions and therefore less benefit in kind taxation.

So it's no surprise the makers of these cars are applying their finest brains to fuel saving technology as well as the usual cutting edge wizardry.

Volvo has long been famed for its safety, but in the executive class has become a real player with neatly designed, economical cars which are competitively priced.

In the case of the S80, it's not the kind of design that is exactly head-turning, but still a smart looking vehicle that more than holds its own against its competitors.

Over the years it has become sleeker looking and features eyecatching headlights and rear lamp cluster, neat grille and attractive alloy wheels.

It is a simple yet classy design that will appeal to many looking for an alternative to the popular German competition.

The inside is also a pleasant and comfortable place to be. As it is such a big car its obvious there is plenty of room inside and the seats are large and comfortable.

The instrumentation clusters are pleasing on the eye with the main controls on a central console that are easy to reach and logical to use, as you would expect from those Swedes.

There is a feeling of real quality in the cabin with classy soft touch materials, while doors and compartments lids close with a reassuring thud.

Head and legroom are excellent while all round vision is pretty good as well.

One of the biggest bonuses is the amount of standard equipment that is included for what is a pretty competitive price range and includes electric windows and door mirrors, climate control, cruise control and high quality sound system to name but a few.

In fact its hard to imagine room for much else on this range topper with all the add ons.

It is not the most practical car in the world. The boot is spacious, but not cavernous but features a split fold rear seat, and there are a few drinkholders and cubby holes dotted around the cabin, plus, there a deep armrest/container between the front seats.

The S80 offers a number of engines choices and the 1.6-litre in the model I drove would seem underpowered for such a big car.

Clearly it looks like it is aimed at the business user and some gutsy performance delivering plenty of low down pulling power is a pleasant surprise.

Even if initial acceleration is nothing to write home about, it's no slouch either.

The S80 is quite happy pottering around town, but really comes into its own on the motorway where it is a delightful long-range cruiser, especially when mated to the super smooth six-speed automatic gearbox.

The relatively low capacity and stop/stat technology also means it burns less fuel and with a claimed average miles per gallon consumption in the mid 50s, it is an economical machine.

Volvos are renowned for the safety and each model has six airbags as standard plus stability and traction control.

Other goodies available are lane departure control, crash warning system and adaptive cruise control. There are also blindspot warning light on the door mirrors that flash amber and then red when someone or something gets a bit too close.

The less is more styling make it a proper alternative and it's cheap to run. It certainly doesn't look out of place on the excecutive car park either.