8 February 2011
Volvo XC60 report; Safe in the City
Ever been driving in stop/start traffic when suddenly the car in front comes to an abrupt stop? You hit the brakes and stop short, only to look in your mirror and realise the driver behind isn't even looking and a hard impact is a certainty.
But not if the vehicle in your mirror is a Volvo XC60. Even if the driver is distracted and fails to react, the XC60 is always on the lookout, and will apply the brakes for the distracted driver, minimising or eliminating the impact altogether.
Volvo call this system City-Safety and the XC60 is the first vehicle in the world to be offered with such a feature. It is active at speeds between 4km/h and 30km/h and detects if a vehicle in front is within 6 to 8 metres and is at a standstill or moving slower in the same direction.
Volvo has a long term vision of designing cars that should not crash.
This technology is an important step towards fulfilling Volvo's goal. Their aim is that by 2020 no one should be killed or injured in a Volvo.
We have come to expect a high degree of safety from Volvo, not only for the vehicle's own occupants, but for other road users and pedestrians too. With the XC60 much consideration has been given to the safety of other motorists, who are often fearful of tangling with larger 4x4 type vehicles
The XC60 is fitted with a lower front cross member, located at the same height as the bumper on a conventional car to help protect the occupants of other vehicles in the event of an accident.
But the XC60 is not only about safety. It is a truly stunning looking vehicle, very much a part of the XC family, which accounts for 50% of Volvo's sales volume in New Zealand.
With modern, youthful lines and attractive visual appeal, Volvo say that the XC60 bridges the gap between a traditional wagon and an SUV and is the safest, sexiest and sportiest Volvo ever created.
The wide bonnet and bigger XC grille gives a large appearance, and the V-shape design starting at the bonnet and rising all the way to the rear make for a forward leaning, sporty stance, finished off by an almost coupe-like appearance at the rear.
There are 4 interior upholstery colour options, all leather with contrasting stitching, and an "X" pattern incorporated with the use of two different leather grains.
Volvo's seating would rate as the most comfortable in the industry.
Thanks to design assistance from orthopaedic surgeons and a brief to create seats which cradle the occupants and reduce driver fatigue, Volvos have had industry leading, supportive seats for many years.
Rear seating is super flexible with a 40/20/40 split rear seat arrangement. Easy one step folding creates a flat floor loading space. With rear seats upright there is 495 litres of space, and with seats folded flat, there's 1455 litres of space, made more useable due to flat sides with no wheel arch intrusion.
The rear seats also incorporate dual level child booster cushions which align the child correctly with the safety belt and pre-tensioner.
There are two engines on offer, a D5 five cylinder turbo diesel and a 3.0 litre T6 twin scroll turbo six cylinder petrol.
The D5 diesel version we drove packed a decent amount of punch from its 2.4 litres, producing 136kW AT 4000rpm and 400Nm of torque at 2000rpm. Meeting Euro 4 emission standards the D5 produces 219g/km of CO2 and consumes 8.3 litres/100km.
The transmission is an Aisin-Warner supplied 6 speed Geartronic automatic, providing for manual gear shifts should you choose, and is the same unit used in the XC70 and V70.
The 3.0 litre petrol utilizes the same transmission and produces 210kW at 5600rpm and delivers similar torque as the diesel, 400Nm at 1500rpm. Emissions for the petrol version are 284 g/km of CO2 and fuel consumption is quoted at 11.9 litres/100km.
Both models come standard with Dynamic Stability & Traction Control (DSTC) which monitors the roll rate, providing early detection of an over or under steer situation, activating the brakes and reducing engine power.
Also standard is Roll Stability Control (RSC) which helps to prevent roll-over via a gyroscopic sensor, and Roll-Over Protection System (ROPS) which activates the seatbelt pre-tensioners and deploys side curtain airbags in the event of a roll-over.
Pricing for the XC60 D5 diesel is $76,990, and the T6 petrol is $84,990.