All-new Volvo XC90: Two ‘world firsts’ in one of the safest cars in the world

- Incorporates the most advanced standard safety package on the market 

- World’s first auto brake function when turning in front of an oncoming vehicle

-  Includes the world’s first safety solution focused on accidental road departures 

- Automatically follows vehicle in front in slow-moving traffic 

- Features five times more Ultra High Strength Steel (boron steel) than first-generation XC90

 Volvo Cars’ all-new XC90 – which will be revealed in August 2014 – will offer the most comprehensive and technologically sophisticated standard safety package available in the automotive industry. The new technologies will take the company a significant step closer to its vision that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by 2020.
The standard safety package on the all-wheel drive, seven seat, luxury SUV will include two ‘world’s first’ safety technologies: a run-off road protection package and auto brake at intersection capability. These innovations will form part of a suite of safety features that will make the all-new XC90 one of the safest cars ever made.
“Our starting point on safety is the same today as it was 87 years ago: real-life situations,” says Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development of Volvo Car Group. “We study data. We crunch numbers. We innovate. The result is one of the safest cars ever made.”

Run-off road protection: Accidents during which the vehicle runs off the road are common, and occur due to different causes, such as driver distraction, fatigue or poor weather conditions. For example, half of all traffic fatalities in the United States are road departure accidents, while in Sweden, single-vehicle accidents involve one third of all fatal and severe injury crashes with passenger cars.

Volvo is deeply troubled by these statistics. Even though there are currently no regulatory or rating tests to examine a car’s ability to handle run-off road accidents, the company has taken the lead to develop the technology to protect occupants should these situations occur.
 “Committing to safety is not about passing a test or getting a ranking,” says Prof. Lotta Jakobsson, Senior Technical Specialist Safety at Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “It is about finding out how and why accidents and injuries occur and then developing the technology to prevent them. We lead, the industry follows.”

Auto brake at intersections The XC90 is the first car in the world with technology that features automatic braking if the driver turns in front of an oncoming car. This is a common scenario at busy city crossings as well as on highways, where the speed limits are higher. The all-new Volvo XC90 detects a potential crash and brakes automatically in order to avoid a collision or mitigate the consequences of a crash.

Broad range of safety features for the all-new XC90: There is a wide range of other safety innovations available on the all-new XC90. They include the following: 
Pre-crash protection in rear impacts: Rearward facing radars detect if a rear impact is imminent and safety belts are tightened in advance in order to keep the occupant in a good position. Lights also start flashing to warn the driver behind, and the brakes are activated to help reduce the impact on the occupants.

Covers the blind spots: The Blind Spot Information System informs the driver of vehicles in the blind spots. It also alerts the driver to vehicles that are approaching fast from behind.