What is the Volvo 780?
The Volvo 780 is a two-door luxury coupé that sat at the top of Volvo’s range in its era. It paired the company’s established approach to practical, solidly built cars with a more formal, personal-car shape. With its separate-looking cabin and long coupé profile, it was aimed at drivers who wanted a distinctive grand touring car rather than a family saloon or estate.
Volvo worked with the Italian design and coachbuilding firm Bertone on the 780. Bertone shaped the car and handled its production, extending an earlier collaboration with Volvo on special-bodied models. That partnership gave the 780 a more tailored character while keeping it recognisably part of Volvo’s range. Its position at the top of the programme made it a more exclusive alternative to the brand’s larger saloons and estates.
780 generation and engines
The single 780 generation covered 1987–1990 in the United States. Its generation code is 782. The model’s short run and coupé body made it a specialised part of Volvo’s line-up rather than a high-volume family car.
US EPA listings cover petrol versions with engines from 2.3 L to 2.8 L. The figures available here do not give a power output, so the engine range is best understood by its size and fuel type. The 780 belongs to an era when buyers could choose among different petrol engine sizes, rather than the electric-only powertrain found in a modern Volvo such as the ES90.
How economical is the Volvo 780?
For the United States, the best listed combined figure is 18 MPG under the EPA procedure. The lowest listed consumption is 13.1 L/100 km, also under EPA. These are US test figures; they should not be read as results from the European WLTP or NEDC procedures, which use different test methods.
The EPA figures describe the 780’s petrol versions in the US market. There are no CO₂ figures in the listed US market summary, so this article does not assign an emissions value to the car.
Where was the Volvo 780 sold?
Volvo’s 780 was a limited, specialist coupé with international appeal. In the United States, EPA listings span 1987–1990 and five versions.
Questions and answers
What kind of car is the Volvo 780?
It is a two-door luxury coupé designed and produced with Bertone.
Which 780 generation is covered here?
The 780 generation, code 782, covering 1987–1990 in the United States.
What engines were listed in the United States?
Petrol engines from 2.3 L to 2.8 L.
What is its best listed EPA fuel economy?
18 MPG combined under the US EPA procedure.