Volvo XC60 2009 News

Volvo says the star-rating system used by the Australian New-Car Assessment Program, which scores vehicles for crash-test results and fitting of ESP stability control, has been overtaken by advanced new systems in the world's safest cars.It wants recognition of the sort of electronic driver assistance systems fitted to its latest XC60 — which it claims sets a new safety standard for Australia — and the upcoming BMW 7 Series and Mercedes- Benz E Class.All have breakthrough new systems - the XC has radar crash avoidance for city traffic, the 7 can recognise speed signs and the E warns drowsy drivers - which go well beyond the current ANCAP tests and ratings."It's my opinion that we need to have another think about the star system. There is no doubt that it's a good cause, and a very important cause, but at the end of the day if they want to give customers what they want and not just tick boxes they need to move on," says Alan Desselss, head of Volvo Cars Australia."A five-star rating for something like the XC60 is probably unjustified. It gets the same star rating, and I don't mean to denigrate the product, as a Hyundai or a Mitsubishi Lancer. It's just not right."The public could think that five stars on one car is equal to five stars on another car, and that's not right."Desselss wants ANCAP to begin looking beyond its crash tests, and further than the ESP stability control now essential for a five-star safety rating, to assess a vehicle's 'real' safety ranking.And he says it should start by looking at the stability control systems used by different brands."Take ESP, or DTSC as we call it. I believe it is different on different cars," he says."What's happened now is that people just put on an ESP system because it's the only way they can get five stars. That can't be right for the message that they are trying to get out."An ESP system can be very different. And sometimes a good system reacts differently on different cars. And that's not given enough attention."He also says Volvo's newest safety systems, from its blind-spot warning to lane-departure warning and the latest City Safety - which warns if a driver is too close to the car ahead, and even brakes if it senses a potential collision - are not being assessed by ANCAP."It's those type of things that really actively help to create better drivers. Everyone wants more safe cars on the road," he says. 

The XC60 continues the brands new angular, chrome-ringed makeover first seen here on XC70 and closely related to siblings Ford and its Kinetic design seen on Mondeo and the just-revealed Fiesta.Its chunky, masculine appearance, powertrains and price tag place it directly in the path of the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz ML Class.Volvo today confirmed that Australia will receive two of the possible three engines: a 210kW/400Nm 3.0-litre inline six petrol with twin-scroll turbocharger, or a 2.4-litre inline five-cylinder turbodiesel with 136kW/400Nm.It funnels through a standard six-speed auto and to the floor via an on-demand all-wheel-drive system.Safety is typically high, with stability control (DTSC), Roll Stability Control and Hill Decent Control for off-roading, and Trailer Stability Control which brakes trailers and caravans to prevent fish-tailing and jack-knifing.It also includes a new collision reduction system called City Safety. Volvo has a lot to live up to in the safety department, both from its reputation and its manifesto, called 2020 Mobility. The marque aims to prevent death and serious injuries in its cars by the decade’s deadline, and City Safety is the first step  as a low-speed collision avoidance device.If the driver does not react to an object directly in the cars path at speed, the car will brake to either avoid the object, or try to reduce the severity of the impact.Prices will be forthcoming, when the SUV finally launches in early 2009.

The XC60 continues the brands new angular, chrome-ringed makeover first seen here on XC70 and closely related to siblings Ford and its Kinetic design seen on Mondeo and the just-revealed Fiesta.

Volvo's has worked out how to minimise the chance on front end car crashes and will conduct hourly demonstrations of the new technology, call City Safety.City safety is a world-first and is currently only available in Australia on Volvo’s new mid-sized luxury SUV, the XC60.Volvo says its City Safety collision avoidance technology prevents front-end collisions when the vehicle is being driven at speeds of up to 30km/h where the speed differential between the two vehicles is no more than 15km/h.City Safety constantly monitors the distance of vehicles up to six metres in front of the XC60 via a laser positioned in its windscreen.If City Safety determines that the XC60 is approaching a vehicle too quickly to avoid a collision, it will automatically brake the vehicle. Depending on speed, the vehicle will either avoid a collision completely or the system will mitigate the collision to ensure the severity of the accident is reduced.

It ranks up there with former Prime Minister, Bob Hawke's 1987 statement that by 1990 no Australian child would live in poverty.But the safe Swede is not playing politics.It really believes that by 2020 no-one should be killed or injured in a car wearing a Volvo badge and is taking measures to ensure that its vehicles comply.It's a visionary declaration but one the head of safety strategy for the company, Jan Ivarsson, believes is attainable.“We don't accept that people lose their lives in airplane accidents, so why should we regard car accidents as inevitable?” he says.According to the World Health Organisation about 1.2 million people are killed and more than 50 million are wounded in traffic accidents every year.By 2020, WHO says deaths from road accidents is set to rise to 8.4 million.Delve further and the WHO statistics are revealing.Road crashes rank nineth among the leading causes of disease burden worldwide, accounting for 2.8 per cent of all global deaths and disability.A startlingly 50 per cent of all road accident fatalities involve people aged between 15 and 44 years.The figures are similar in Australia, where under 30 year-olds are over-represented in fatality statistics and 22,000 people are seriously injured each year in accidents.This causes incalculable impacts at all levels of society, on families, the workplace, as well as our health services and rehabilitation hospitals.While applauding the merits of the Volvo initiative, Sydney-based road safety advocate, John Cadogan, is wary that some technologies could dumb down the actual skill of driving.“And we don't educate drivers about what the real risks are either,” he says.“There are heaps of distracting devices in cars and there is also that pesky concept that if you buy a safe car some people think you can drive a little more dangerously as a result.“Psychologies call it risk homeostasis, that everyone's prepared to accept a certain amount of risk.”With owners of really safe cars “there is a strong chance you'll take more liberties with safety down the track because you erroneously assume the car will protect you”.Cadogan, who operates a website called crashprevention.com.au, says there are identified areas of road safety concern in Australia but few drivers worry about them.“In Australia 50 per cent of all road trauma occurs at intersections,” he says.“And it's driver error.“People think that the driver error that leads to all this trauma is just the guy who ploughs through a red light... but it's also an error on the part of the driver who notionally has the right of way because they don't check that everyone else is complying with the road rules.”Carmakers may be inventing new ways of preventing and avoiding accidents and injury but it still comes down to the driver, he says.“The biggest thing holding road safety back is drivers not giving a toss about driving,” he says.“They don't think there is a much of a benefit to be derived from being good at driving.“Drivers just don't take the act of driving seriously because they don't respect of have much appreciation for how hard it can bite you.”Another issue perculiar to Australia is that the average age of our motoring fleet is more than 10 years old.“That means the average Australia is more than a decade out on safety technology,” he says.“The cutting-edge advances that you read about today won't really get into the hands of Joe Average until 2018.“If Volvo produces a car that you can't die in in 2020, the average Australia won't be driving it until 2030 and a bit.“Average Aussies are only just getting airbags and anti-skid brakes in their cars.”Cadogan says there is no question road safety will improve dramatically if the age of the national fleet was lowered.“And our most vulnerable drivers, our young drivers, are driving the oldest, crappiest and least safe cars on the roads and they're the ones more predisposed to crashing and injuring themselves.”Volvo's Ivarsson says continuous research and enhancement of safety in and around our cars will be essential for achieving a safer driver environment and a collision-free future.“In this aim we invite cooperation with authorities and the automotive industry,” he says.The Volvo Cars Traffic Accident Research Team has investigated traffic accidents since 1970.It is not alone in such research as several other carmakers, even our own local carmaker Holden in conjunction with the Monash University Accident Research Centre, has performed similar research.Volvo's accident database contains information about more than 36,000 accidents involving its cars.By using knowledge from real traffic situations in the research, it has learned how to design cars that offer high levels of in-car safety in a crash.It says this is an important base when identifying high-tech solutions that can help to avoid or mitigate an accident.Not only does Volvo study crashed cars, it also investigates driver behaviour in order to learn more about what can lead to hazardous traffic situations.Other carmakers like Mercedes-Benz do similar work.With secure data on the actual crashes, Volvo has broadened its research to include an overall view of safety.Even if the technology to design a collision-free traffic environment is not yet in place, Volvo's safety experts know what they want to achieve.They are now looking into the driver's whole motoring journey.Volvo says the car's safety functions can be divided into five phases:1. Normal driving: Driver kept informed on driving status and driver concentration;2. Conflict: Driver involved in a potentially hazardous situation, but is able to cope with it;3. Avoidance: Driver less capable of coping with the situation;4. Damage reduction: Driver and car not capable of avoiding collision. Preparation for collision, reduction of crash forces; and5. After collision: Driver offered assistance and rescue.Volvo follows a principle that the driver should be in command.The car' s”intelligence” should support the driver, for example by monitoring drowsiness or distraction.It can also warn them when the distance to other cars is too short. It is not until the driver fails to react and a crash is imminent, that the car “takes over” from the driver, for example by auto-braking.The lowered impact speed leads to less crash energy, which in turn increases the performance of the car's protective safety systems such as seatbelts, airbags and crumple zones.Volvo plans to introduce safety technologies that detect and auto-brake for pedestrians and even auto-steer away from oncoming cars.However, it recognises a collision-free future cannoth be obtained by itself alone.Cadogan agrees with Volvo that safe traffic has three main stakeholders: the carmakers, the drivers and the owners of the infrastructure like government or companies that operate the roads.But he says carmakers have done more than drivers and governments to improve safety.Ivarsson says cooperation between road traffic authorities and the auto industry is important for safer driving.“There is considerable safety potential in creating communication between cars and infrastructure,” Ivarsson says.“Two cars could for example warn each other of queues or slippery roads. Infrastructure sensors could warn the driver of people or animals crossing the road.”This requires that all cars speak the same “language” regardless of car brand, so international standards are needed.The driver and passengers must understand the importance of following traffic rules and using the car's safety equipment.Volvo has always been conscious of safety.It invented the three-point seatbelt almost 50 years ago.“At that time we believed it was so important to mankind that we offered the patent entirely free of charge to all manufacturers,” Ivarsson says.“It is still regarded as the most life-saving safety equipment in cars.“Nevertheless, many people still do not use it.”And the person behind the wheel is the one mitigating factor in all of this.“In an ideal world we would all be good drivers,” Cadogan says.“But we don't live in an ideal world.” 

The car brand trumpeted as the world's safest will catch up with the pack next month. Volvo is at last making sure every car it sells in Australia is equipped with ESP and traction control as standard. It has yet to confirm details of the ESP upgrade, including prices, though all Australian cars coming off the production line this month – which means deliveries in June once they are shipped from Sweden – will have the system. “We can confirm that dynamic stability control and traction control will be standard on all Volvo models from May production,” says Laurissa Mirabelli of Volvo Cars Australia. While Volvo is talking up its ESP upgrade, it is also working to finalise details of next year's model line-up after an upgrade last week in Europe. They should be here by October, and the all-new XC60 all-wheel-drive wagon will be the headliner. The most obvious change, on everything from the baby C30 to the C70, is a larger Volvo badge on the boot. It picks up the prominence of the badge on the XC60 and the latest mid-sized wagons. The only other change across the range, though not confirmed for Australia, is exterior mirrors that fold flat for parking. “There will be some minor changes to Volvo's MY09 line-up this year, as there is with its models every year,” Mirabelli says. “The MY09s won't be here until much later this year and we're not in a position to confirm the extent of the changes yet, given we're still going through the business case process.” She says there are only minor tweaks to the range, apart from the XC60, and nothing big on the technical front. In Europe, there are minor tweaks to nine models and one of the best is an optional system called Homelink. It uses buttons integrated into the sun visor to operate remote-controlled home appliances such as garage doors, house alarms and lighting. There is an upgrade of the optional satellite navigation on the S40 and V50, a hard load cover is now standard on all C30s and the climate control is upgraded in the C70 with the addition of the Powershift gearbox already fitted to the C30, S40 and V50. The S80 flagship gets heated washer nozzles and chronograph-style dials in the dash.  

Its latest bonny baby, the compact four-wheel-drive GLK, is heading our way.But when the pre-shrunk version of the M-Class gets here, probably late in 2010, it will be missing one vital ingredient - all-wheel drive.Benz has confirmed the Daimler-developed GLK compact will initially be sold here as a rear-wheel drive.An all-wheel-drive version won't hit our market until the second-generation model, now under development, is released. It is also tipped to feature a hybrid diesel/electric power train.By then Benz will have sorted out an oversight in the GLK's design.The right-hand-drive versions can't be fitted with all-wheel traction because there is no room for the system without making costly engineering changes.The GLK wasn't on the radar for Australia because it was designed for left-hand-drive markets.That left Benz without a contender in the booming Australian SUV market to fight BMW's X3, Audi's Q5, VW's Tiguan and the Volvo XC60.Now it appears Benz has had a change of heart after reviewing a business case study put up by Britain and Australia. When it does arrive, there will be a choice of 3.5-litre V6 petrol or a 2.2-litre diesel with 400Nm of torque on tap.Meanwhile, Australians are being denied one of the more potent models in the Benz coupe line-up - the 4Matic version of the stunning C-Class CL500.It's the first time the all-wheel-drive system has been fitted to a luxury coupe and would have fitted the Australian market well, but it is also not made in right-hand drive.The lightweight 4Matic system splits drive between front and rear wheels through a planetary gear centre differential, which also has a twin-plate clutch to allow some variance in torque between axles. 

No one in its Gothenburg centre in Sweden will talk about future product, although there is an underlying trend to shrink technology.Volvo's strategic design chief Jose Diaz de la Vega thinks a small car — smaller than the current C30 hatchback — would fit neatly into the company's mould.But he warns it could be a long way off — not because of design and engineering progress, but simply because of the Scandinavian caution about change.“We take a long time, we enter vehicle segments later than many car companies,” he said.“Volvo is a cultural brand. There is a movement towards smaller, more efficient motor cars and away from bigger SUVs. So I hope we can look at a smaller car. Like the Fiesta.”Volvo's holistic approach to the car has encompassed safety and environmental concerns for decades.Prepared to put its money where its mouth is, Volvo has committed $1.8 billion between 2006 and 2011 for research and development linked to environmental issues.The biggest step in this framework becomes tangible within five years with the launch of Volvo's first hybrid. No details are being released, although the hybrid unit is being developed in Sweden at Volvo's specialist Hybrid Centre using technology shared with its parent company, Ford.The hybrid — expected to be seen first in the XC60 body — aims to reduce Volvo's CO2 emission footprint and will join its other low-emission models for sale in Europe.It is part of Volvo's commitment to reduce emissions and to meet the stringent 120g/km of CO2 level being legislated for 2011 by the European Union. The CO2 level is an average across a carmaker's range and affects all manufacturers.Volvo said it was looking across the hybrid spectrum, including the simple 'micro-hybrid' technology, which is a starter motor/generator combination that works as a stop-go system. This turns off the petrol engine when the car is stationary — such as in heavy traffic or at lights — and automatically restarts when the accelerator pedal is depressed. Stop-go reduces fuel and C02 emissions by up to 10 per cent.Volvo will also expand its alternative fuel range, predominantly for the markets in Sweden, France and Brazil.There are three Flexifuel engines that run on varying percentages of ethanol and are available in five models — C30, S40, V50, V70 and S80. The engines range from a 1.8-litre four-cylinder to a 2.5-litre turbocharged version. Extra-low CO2 emission models under development include the C30 Efficiency with a C02 level of less than the proposed EU figure of 120g/km. This car will go on sale next year in Europe.Volvo is also close to delivering a twin-clutch automated gearbox that will offer greater engine economy.This transmission is similar to the Volkswagen DSG system. Would you be interested in a smaller Volvo car?  

Like dropping a perfectly square peg into a square hole with Ikea ease, the XC60 perfectly fits the growing trend for luxury cross-over vehicles.Revealed last week at the Geneva Motor Show and due for an Australian debut early next year, the XC60 is a shrunken version of Volvo's most popular model, the XC90.Built on architecture that has similarities with but is not, Volvo implores, identical to the Ford Focus, the latest product from the Swede is purely a five-seater but has all the cabin flexibility for which the compact SUV segment is known.Although not new as a concept, the wagon takes giant strides in safety areas.It will come here with a unique laser sensor system to prevent low-speed crashes. It's a warning system that noisily intrudes on any lack of driver alertness by detecting when the car is drifting out of its lane.There is collision avoidance that monitors the distance to the car ahead; an 'active' cruise control takes over braking. There is all-wheel drive, six air bags, rollover protection, an advanced ESC and traction control system, hill descent control, trailer stability assist, WHIPS, SIPS and much more.I haven't driven the car yet — few have, in fact — because it doesn't go into production until August for European and American buyers.Volvo unveiled it officially in Geneva and followed that up with an in-depth look at what makes the XC60 tick.The company put a lot of time into the safety message, which will bring much comfort to buyers, particularly those with families. In fact, it is selling this car as “the safest Volvo ever.”It's a car for the family that has all the high-end luxury features in a nimble, attractive package. However, although it appears to hit the spot, it won't be alone soon in its segment.It will be up against coming compact luxury SUVs, including the Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi Q5, new BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLK and even a baby Lexus. Already the market has the Mazda CX-7, Toyota Kluger, Ford Territory, Nissan Murano and others, so there's plenty of choice.Volvo president Fredrik Arp says the XC60 is an example of how his company is injecting more emotional appeal into the cars.“It is an ideal partner for a single person in the city or for crossing over to an active family life with an appetite for cross-country fun and adventures,” he says.“We like to describe the XC60 as a perfect choice for the C30 (Volvo's smallest three-door model) owner who has grown out of the car and is looking for a larger one with the same attitude.”The safety message may be the overriding impression from the car but there's a lot more that appears to make it a sprightly and enjoyable drive.It is 20mm shorter than its sister, the XC70, and lower than its bigger sister, the XC90.It's quite heavy, having a range from 1825kg to 1990kg, depending on the model and fittings, which is on par with the XC70.There will be three engines, starting at the top with Volvo's 3-litre in-line six-cylinder turbocharged T6 petrol unit that whacks out an impressive 210kW and 400Nm of torque, the latter from a mere 1500rpm.Then there are two five-cylinder turbocharged diesels; the D5 with 136kW and 400Nm and the 2.4-litre 2.4D with 120kW and 340Nm.Europe will get an entry-level model front-wheel drive version with the 120kW diesel and a low CO2 emission level of 170 grams/kilometre. It won't come to Australia.There is no four-cylinder option and none will be offered in the near future; but Volvo says it will launch a hybrid “within five years” which is likely to use a four-cylinder engine and be inserted into an SUV model.All engines are mounted transversely and drive through either a six-speed sequential automatic or a six-speed manual. Drive is to the front wheels with the Haldex all-wheel drive system engaged when a monitor detects any front wheel slip.The XC60 will be offered in Europe with 17, 18 or even optional 19-inch wheels, with a generous 230mm of ground clearance indicating the wagon will have reasonable off-bitumen ability.It seats five officially and is spacious enough to carry four adults with good rear leg and headroom. The rear seat is split and folds flat to give luggage versatility.Volvo predicts sales of more than 50,000 a year worldwide and has stated that China and Russia will be within the top five markets.There is no indication of price or final specifications for the Australian market, although something between $49,000 and $62,000 may not be too far out of the ballpark.  At a glanceVolvo XC60On sale (Australia): March 2009Engines: 3-litre, 6-cyl turbo petrol (T6); 2.4-litre 5-cyl turbo-diesel (D5 and 2.4D)Power: 210kW @ 5600rpm (T6); 136kW @ 4000rpm (D5); 120kW @ 4000 (2.4D)Torque: 400Nm @ 1500-4800rpm (T6); 400Nm @ 2000-2750rpm (D5); 340Nm @ 1750-2750rpm (2.4D); 0-100km/h: 7.5 seconds (T6); 9.9sec (D5); 10.9sec (2.4D)Fuel: Unleaded petrol and dieselFuel tank: 70 litresLength: 4628mmWidth: 1891mmHeight: 1713mmWheelbase: 2774mmTrack: Front 1632mm; rear 1586mmTurning circle: 10.9mGround clearance: 230mmWeight: 1825-1990kgLuggage volume: 492-1452 litres  

The Swiss show this week turned a significant corner, brushing aside traditional glitz and glamour to tackle the more sombre environmental issues.The show's displays confronted visitors with the speed and breadth of low-emission vehicle development.The change that is sweeping Europe and is relentlessly marching on other markets, including Australia, is spurred by consumer demands for low-emission cars and future European legislation that will dramatically curtail exhaust pollutants.Ford Europe's vice-president for environmental affairs, Wolfgang Schneider, said there was a global move to reduce emissions and create energy independence through minimising the use of fossil fuel.But rather than make hybrids, or wait for fuel-cell vehicles that use hydrogen, European car companies are seeking less radical and less expensive options.“The mainstream solution is to take conventional technology and turn it green,” he said.“Consumers want what they have now — cars that are well priced, have sporty driving manners, are comfortable and affordable to run — but they want to be environmentally aware. More importantly, they don't want to pay for it.”Ford released its new Fiesta small car that emits less than 120g of CO2 for every kilometre, the future legislated threshold proposed by the European Union.“We can do this by using current engineering — that is, to reduce the vehicle's weight, make the car more aerodynamic, and use low-friction lubricants,” Dr Schneider said.“The Fiesta, with 99g/km, equates to a fuel economy of 3.8 litres/100km. As long as we can get these low emissions and low fuel consumption by existing technology, the less need we have to rush into building hybrid vehicles.“If we decide on a hybrid, it will immediately add about $6000 to the car's price. Customers won't pay that.”Ford in Europe also offers one Flexifuel version which runs on biofuel for every model. But the pick-up is poor compared with diesels.Volvo, which sits under the Ford umbrella, offers biofuel models, but believes high-efficiency diesels are the best option.Volvo chief Steven Armstrong said his company would soon offer a high-efficiency version of its C30 three-door hatch that emits less than 120g/km.He said it was also developing a plug-in electric C30 version.The battery is charged by plugging the car into a power source, usually overnight. The battery runs four electric motors, each within the wheel hubs.When the battery runs low, a small four-cylinder, ethanol-fuelled engine is automatically started to run a generator to recharge the battery.Volvo insists that the power source to charge the battery must be sustainable, preferably solar or wind-generated.“We will have a hybrid of the XC60 (a small SUV released this week and expected in Australia later this year) in 2010 and other hybrids may follow,” Mr Armstrong said.“Hybrids are great for the city where there is low-speed operation, but we believe that an efficient diesel is far, far better for the environment.“We will have an XC60 diesel with 170g/km CO2 on the market within 12 months.”Many manufacturers at the Geneva Motor Show displayed diesel-fuelled vehicles that use an ammonia-based liquid that results in extremely low emissions of nitrogen. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz call it BlueTec.But it's not on the way to Australia, certainly not this year.Volkswagen has a similar system called BlueMotion that could be here as early as late 2009.Volkswagen showed a concept diesel-hybrid that it claims will consume only 3.4 litres/100km.One further way many car makers are minimising fuel consumption and reducing emissions is by offering models with smaller engines.This “downsizing” is being adopted by Volvo (it has a two-litre, four-cylinder engine option for its S80 luxury sedan) and Ford (1.6-litre engine for the medium-size Mondeo).The legislation on emissions will come into force from January 1, 2012.However, the rush to clean up the current fleet of cars is also being pushed by new US emission legislation that will come into effect about the same time as Europe.When introduced, both sets of legislation will affect the vehicles available to Australian buyers.