| First Drive | Milan to London | 2010 Volvo S80 DRIVe |

Big car = big engine, right? Not if you're Volvo and to prove its point it has come up with the S80 DRIVe. It's a full-sized executive saloon that makes no compromises on the luxury side of life, yet it packs a meagre 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine in a bid for fine economy and emissions. We took the helm from Milan to London to see if the S80 DRIVe can manage the 800-mile trip on a single tank of diesel and if this Volvo exec is a bright idea or a dull drive.

In the Metal

The only substantial visual clue to the S80 DRIVe's fuel-saving engine from the outside - other than a couple of discreet badges - is the lowered ride height. Even this is hard to spot unless you park a DRIVe version next to a standard S80. Amazingly, Volvo has not had to do anything else to the S80's aerodynamics to make it as fuel efficient as possible, unlike its V70 sister model that needed some aero tweaks to get the economy up and emissions down to the same levels as the S80's. If you get down on your hands and knees to look at the wheels, you'll spot the S80 DRIVe comes with 16-inch alloy wheels instead of the 17-inch items that are standard on the rest of the range.

If you were to dissect the S80 DRIVe in forensic detail, you'd find the 108bhp 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine is attached to a five-speed manual gearbox, which is shared with other DRIVe models, but the S80's has reworked third, fourth and fifth gears to better suit the larger car. There's also an electric power steering pump that only assists when needed - to save draining energy from the engine. Otherwise, the rest of the S80 DRIVe is exactly as you'd find on every other model, which means acres of cabin and boot space and plenty of comfort.

What you get for your Money

On the engine front, it's more what you don't get for your money, which is to say no big engine under the bonnet. A 1.6-litre sounds tiny for a car the size of the S80, but we'll deal with this below. A five-speed manual gearbox is the only option for the DRIVe, while this model comes in two trims: SE and SE Premium. Going green with the S80 DRIVe doesn't mean giving up on executive car staples, so both models come with electric windows and mirrors, climate and cruise controls, electric driver's seat adjustment, six airbags, alloy wheels and ESP traction control. Spend the extra £2,000 for the SE Premium model and you're also treated to leather seats and satellite navigation, which add up to £3,150 as extras on the SE model - so the Premium appears the best value.

As the DRIVe models are still very much part of the S80 family, you get masses of passenger space in the front and rear, plus an enormous boot, though this could be easier to access when you need to reach right to the back. There's also a 60/40 split and fold rear seat to make the S80 a very useful load lugger - who'd have thought that with a Volvo... Going back to the front seats, these are among the best in any car on sale and over two days and more than 800 miles of driving, we never so much as felt a twinge or ache, so they come highly recommended from some of the of the most experienced and highly tuned backsides in the business.

Driving it

The S80, it's fair to say, hasn't enjoyed a runaway reputation for deep driver satisfaction. It's seen to be not as sharp as a BMW 5 Series or Jaguar XF, nor quite as serene as a Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Well, you can forget all that with the S80 DRIVe. Sure, it's no ball of fire - with 0-62mph in 12.4 seconds and a top speed of 118mph - but there is something supremely relaxing in wafting along in the knowledge that you can easily achieve 700 miles on a single fill of the tank. And no, it's not a super-sized fuel tank, but the same 70-litre job fitted to every other S80. During our trip back from Milan to London, we cruised at the 130km/h (81mph) continental motorway limit, encountering steep inclines through Switzerland, road works in France and the usual chaos on the M25 once back in Blighty. Driving in exactly the same style we would in any other car, the S80 DRIVe delivered us to Calais and the Eurotunnel on a single tank of fuel.

Without any eco-driving techniques or changing our itinerary to drive during quiet periods, we travelled 700 miles on a single tank of diesel, averaging 51.5mpg over the journey. That is impressive stuff and we could easily turn that figure into 800 miles back on 70mph-limited UK roads.

Just as impressive, and what puts any worries to bed about the S80 DRIVe's abilities, was the way the 1.6-litre turbodiesel hauled us along. Fears of revving the engine hard and underwhelming performance were soon banished as the S80 cruised along in refined style. The 108bhp motor is no whirlwind, but its 177lb.ft of torque is enough to pull the S80 saloon up to speed and keep it there without any drama. The five-speed manual 'box has a suitably easy shift and all of the other controls live up to the executive image of this Volvo. We were also pleasantly surprised and pleased with the way the S80 DRIVe's lowered chassis settings coped with bumpy British roads after smooth Euro black top. Okay, so the handling is middle-ranking for the executive class, but the S80 DRIVe worked its way into our affections more than enough for this to be something we could live with.

Worth Noting

The heart of the S80 DRIVe is that 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine. With only 108bhp and 177lb.ft of torque on hand, it looks markedly puny next to the diesels most of its rivals tout, and even Volvo offers a much beefier 2.0-litre turbodiesel. However, this little engine is not to be intimidated or outgunned. Its on-paper performance may not set your pulse going, but on the road the S80 DRIVe feels just brisk enough not to be swamped by traffic and there's something in the nature of the S80 that makes you feel more relaxed and less inclined to work the engine hard. It's a very soothing experience to pilot the S80 DRIVe, so it's ideal for any busy executives who struggle with their anger management! It's also ideal for anyone who just likes saving a few quid, as the 57.7mpg combined economy is backed up by 129g/km carbon dioxide emissions, which makes it very appealing to company car drivers. On top of that, Volvo has priced the S80 DRIVe competitively from £22,245 for the SE and £24,245 for the fully loaded SE Premium. Upscale Mondeo or Insignia or an executive Volvo? The Swedish option looks very tempting.

Summary

Who'd have thought a middle-ranking executive saloon with a pint-sized turbodiesel engine could make such a big impact? That is exactly what the Volvo S80 DRIVe has achieved and, we reckon, it will be a popular choice with both company and private buyers. There's all of the appeal of superb economy, low emissions and the usual Volvo values, but the S80 DRIVe has another less definable quality: it's bucking the system in an understated Scandinavian style. Yes, you can own a large car and be green at the same time. The fact it's also very keenly priced, supremely comfortable and has quality build throughout only adds to the S80 DRIVe's charm. That and those wonderful seats - our posteriors have never been pampered so well on a long drive.