• Needless to say, the brake system is also both powerful and sophisticated, performing as it does so many more functions than simply stopping the car safely depending on driver input. Brake pedal feel has been further improved to provide a distinct yet comfortable feeling at all speeds and the pulsating ABS action is minimized. The stability and feeling of being in full control when braking on uneven surfaces is top-class, especially if there is a difference in friction between the left and the right sides.

• The system features large-diameter discs, 305 mm with ventilation at the front, and 288 mm at the rear. All the wheels also feature sliding calipers.

• Full use of the braking system is always possible as a result of Electronic Brake Force Distribution, EBD. The brake systems in modern cars are usually of two types. Either the front brakes are much more powerful than the rear ones or the braking force of the rear brakes is reduced by pressure limiting valves to keep the force down to a certain level.

• EBD, on the other hand, carefully monitors the behavior of the rear wheels in relation to the front wheels and regulates the braking force electronically to match the degree of braking and load. In this way, perfect balance is always maintained by making the most effective use of the available braking force. Even when the driver brakes very hard, full directional stability and steering ability are maintained. The system is particularly effective when driving with heavy loads.

• EBD permits far more braking force to be applied to the rear wheels as it always ensures full braking stability by regulating the pressure at an early stage of the braking process.

• The entire EBD function is integrated in the ABS system, thereby enabling the function of the system to be monitored. Moreover, a warning lamp, as different from conventional pressure-limiting systems can indicate possible faults.

• It there is a problem in the ABS/EBD systems, it will be clearly indicated to the driver. The system automatically changes to passive function. The car still has a normal braking system but without the ABS or EBD functions.

• The most vulnerable part of a brake system is the brake lines. In order to minimize the risk of corrosion and brake circuit failure, the pipes are made of heavy-duty, long-life

• cu-ni-fer (copper-nickel-iron) alloy.

• The design and geometry of the front suspension play a vital part in giving a powerful front-wheel drive car like the Volvo S80 the best possible dynamic properties. Here, too, it is a question of combining space and function in the optimum manner.

• The front suspension features spring struts of the same design as the ones in the S70/V70/C70 but with modified geometry. The shock absorbers and coil springs are one unit and are asymmetrically positioned in relation to the strut.

• Below the springs struts, there are triangular lower links and an anti-roll bar is directly attached to the spring struts via a link. This design produces very good directional stability when accelerating and braking on uneven surfaces. The suspension is supported by both anti-lift and anti-dive functions to prevent lifting tendencies when accelerating and diving tendencies when braking. It is important that the car maintains a horizontal position whenever possible for both safety and comfort reasons.