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The Hindu : German cars like the Audi, Mercedes and BMW are the kings of the luxury car segment and for good reason. These cars are known for their gorgeous looks and brilliant performance. They are also for the fact that every detail has been thought of meticulously and is of superior quality. The Swedish Volvo S80 falls into this category of luxury cars, and should not be discounted because of its country of origin. The people buying these vehicles havehigh demands with regard to what the car should offer and one can’t blame them. The cars, after all, do cost a lot and so should offer a lot.In fact, of the four cars mentioned above, three are manufactured in India; the Mercedes E-class, BMW 5-series and, more recently, the Audi A6. The Volvo is the only car that will be imported. Though all four cars belong to the same segment, they have distinct designs. So if it is high levels of quality and luxury you are looking for and have the money to spend, which of the four should you choose? Read on…Design and engineeringThe E-class is the oldest car in the competition. Though the design is old, it still looks classy and maintains its charm.The A6 is easy to recognise and typical details like the ‘Bulgarian beard’ (the big grille stretching all the way down to the chin spoiler), the high-mounted twin-barrel lamps and smoothened nose give the Audi a sophisticated look. The uncluttered lines add to the desire quotient of the A6. Overall, it is a stunning piece of design.Equally good looking is the BMW with Chris Bangle’s design features such as the sharply creased lines, eagle-eye headlights and Dracula-cloak skinning. All these add to the style element; it certainly looks the most aggressive of the four.As for the S80, though in the past Volvos have been given the ‘box-like look’ tag, the new Volvo…More