Volvo Car Corporation’s leadership in vehicle safety is once again highlighted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In the latest report the Volvo S60 is one out of only two cars to earn the best rating in IIHS’s new offset frontal crash test.
In the new test, 25 percent of the car’s front end on the driver’s side strikes a rigid barrier at 40 mph (64 km/h), with a Hybrid III dummy belted into the driver seat. The test is designed to replicate what happens when the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or utility pole.
“The relatively small overlap is a very severe crash situation and we are very pleased with the test result. Our aim is to build cars that help protect the occupants in most crash situations that occur in real-life traffic. This test confirms that our safety systems work as intended also when a small part of the front is involved in the collision,” says Thomas Broberg, Senior Safety Advisor at Volvo Car Corporation.
Several top results
Volvo Car Corporation’s dedication to vehicle and occupant safety has been recognized in several recent studies.
Last year, no less than five Volvo models – the Volvo C30, Volvo S60, Volvo S80, Volvo XC60 and Volvo XC90 – earned a Top Safety Pick. Volvo was the only European luxury brand with five models awarded in the 2011 IIHS report.
The XC60 was also the only SUV crossover with an IIHS Top Safety Pick and an overall 5 star U.S. NCAP rating. In the 2010 test, the XC60 received 5 stars in all individual crash tests, including 5 stars for the driver and 5 stars for the passenger in the frontal collision as well as 5 stars in both side tests.