2009 Volvo XC60 Reviews

There is no escaping the ‘Volvo driver’ syndrome, even in the new and funky XC60 crossover SUV. It's a great little luxury package that fits a family, drives like a sporty sedan and is ultra-safe, as we would expect from the Swedish safety king.Perhaps it is the inherent safety of their cars that makes the drivers think they are invincible, therefore they don't have to drive with much care and attention. Whenever I test a Volvo I become aware that people are staring at me and judging my driving, wondering whether I'm just another ‘bloody Volvo driver’. I therefore over-think my driving and sometimes that can lead to errors for which I am frequently winding down my window to wave an apology.But now the XC60 arrives with so many safety bells and whistles that there should be no such thing again as an inattentive, invincible ‘bloody Volvo driver’.Safety Electronic gadgets such as the standard City Safety function automatically stop the car for you in emergency situations, preventing crashes in low-speed CBD environs.The optional lane departure system ($2075) chimes a chorus of the William Tell Overture every time you stray over a painted white line without indicating, and that is most of the time around my neck of the woods where the roads are covered with white lines for cyclists.And then there is the bright red light that flashes up on my windscreen when I tailgate and there are those orange lights near the wing mirrors that flash when there is a vehicle in my blind spot (a $1275 option). I am assailed by lights, chimes, flashes and warnings. There is no hope of being inattentive.After a while, the first thing I would do when I got into the car was switch off all the safety devices so I could drive in peace and inattentiveness, waving my apologies at the honking, irate motorists around me.Interior And what a lovely environment in which to drive blissfully unaware of your outside environs. It is a scaled-down version of the XC90, but unless you jumped from one vehicle to the next you wouldn't notice it. The cabin feels enormous for the size of the vehicle.The rear passenger area is equally immense, easily fitting three adults, and the cargo area is massive with a flat floor and quality carpeting to keep your luggage and valuables from being scratched. Unfortunately there is only a space-saver spare under the floor.Driving I drove the T6 turbo petrol model and the D5 turbo diesel. While the diesel is about 8L/100km frugal it is rather noisy on hard acceleration and has a bit of lag off the get-go, while the turbo is dynamic and quiet with no lag.Handling is excellent with no caveats for being an SUV. There is no lurching around that you would expect from an SUV and the turning circle and vision is good for shopping centre parking. No real need for the optional rear parking camera, saving you $795. Park assist front and rear costs a lot less at $325, but it's standard on the D5 LE.Outside, it is a handsome vehicle with a nice curve to the hips from behind where tailgaters will be assaulted by the array of taillights, blinkers and brake lights that go all the way to the roof.A great family package for weekday duties as well as weekend fun. In fact, a British magazine has voted the diesel XC60 the best tow car in their market.Volvo XC60 Prices: $57,950 (D5), $64,450 (D5 LE), $64,950 (T6)Engine: 2.4-litre, 5-cyl, turbo-diesel; 3-litre 6-cyl, turbo-petrolPower: 136kW @ 4000rpm (D5); 210kW @ 5600rpm (T6)Torque: 400Nm @ 2000-2750rpm (D5); 400Nm @ 1500-4800rpm (T6) FUELEconomy: 8.3L/100km (D5); 11.9 (T6)Emissions: 219g/km (D5); 284 (T6)Ttransmision: 6-speed automatic, sequential; constant 4WDTowing: 2000kg braked

Australians are gorging on a feast of quality SUVs. The all-wheel drive wagon menu has never been tastier, more varied, or more satisfying.This week's test is the Volvo XC60, officially Australia's safest new car, but I cannot assess the Swedish SUV without thinking about all the newcomers from the Nissan Murano and Audi Q7 to the latest Lexus RX, as well as benchmark cars including the Volkswagen Tiguan, Renault Koleos, Mazda CX-7 and even the Toyota RAV4. It's a lot to consider and a lot more to digest.So, to get to the bottom at the top, the XC60 is one of the very best. It's not as flashy as the Murano, or as sporty as the CX-7, and it cannot really go off-road or beat the Tiguan for value. But nothing in the SUV lineup can top the class in every subject, so the Volvo translates solid scores in every single area into a class- leading result. And, as you expect, it has Volvo safety.The XC60 arrives after several earlier XC efforts, including the giant 90, as one of the very latest arrivals in the SUV pack. It edged out its closest competitor today, the German Q5, but not by much.Arriving late means Volvo has had a lot of time to do its work on the 60 and the result is a vehicle built up from a super-sturdy basic body and then tweaked with everything from luxury leather and classy sound to a couple of impressive engines and all the safety stuff _ including a City Safety system designed to prevent low-speed city smacks with a driver warning and then automatic braking intervention.Drivetrains and pricing The range opens with a turbodiesel XC60 from $57,950, like so many diesel-driven Euro brands these days, and works up to the 3-litre T6 with a petrol inline six. But there is a lot more stuff that can be added to fluff the pillows and pad the bottom line.The XC60 has the potential to become Volvo's best seller in Australia, although the numbers are taking a little while to build to their maximum. Only 116 were delivered in May, against 154 for the XC90 and 140 for the Q5, but supplies are tight around the world and it's going to take a while to fill the pipeline.To put the XC60 into perspective, it's a mid-sized SUV _ think Holden Captiva or Hyundai Santa Fe _ but with a big-car fell and a specification which puts it solidly into the luxury SUV category which includes everything from the Lexus and Range Rover to Benz ML and the Porsche Cayenne.The difference is that it is priced sensibly with a sub-$60,000 start and even the basic turbodiesel has all the suspension, transmission and safety stuff you really need.I preferred the diesel to the petrol six during a testing preview drive from Canberra over the Alps to Albury, and it would still be the car I would try first. But diesel prices move around a lot, plenty of young families are not convinced on the green credentials and the grotty pumps which often spoil refuelling, and you need to be running better than 30,000km a year to cash the real benefits.Volvo Australia knows it has a winner, and a value hero, so cannot wait to get fully into stride with the XC60."I don't think there has ever been a more accomplished crossover. It offers stunning style, outstanding functionality and brilliant on-road performance - and sets a new safety benchmark not just in its segment, but for the overall new-car market," claims company chief, Alan Desselss.DrivingThe compact Volvo feels solid, secure and safe.There is just enough trendiness to tick the box, without going over top with fripperies, although the Carsguide test team is split on the Scandinavian wood strip through the centre console. I think it breaks up the all-black cabin of the T6 test car, but Ali says it is contrived and Warren is too trendy for wood in an SUV.The XC60 returned after an earlier run, but this time it was following the Audi Q5. First impressions count, and the biggest was the price difference in favour of the Swedish model.But the basic T6 also felt a little drab, and that's probably not the right word, after the luxury look and feel of the Nissan Murano and a Q5 with plenty of optional extras. I have driven a fully loaded XC and it also does the job, but it slips just a little on initial impact when you have the basic model.But turn the key - or, actually, press the key into the dash to start - and the XC60 does the job, and does it easily and well.It has more than enough cabin space for five people, it rides firmly with good grip and excellent brakes, it is easy to park - helped by radar - and the dash is simple and clear.The six-cylinder petrol engine has more than enough torque and power for any job and it copes easily with a little gravel road action. It's not an off-roader, but neither are any of its real rivals.It's a city and suburban family car and it does the job well. The boot is big and easy to load, it will cruise happily at 100km/h while doing 9L/100km, and the finish is impressive.I also love the HID headlamps, am less convinced by the absence of a Bluetooth phone connection, enjoy the punchy sound and am won by the safety stuff.I know the XC60 will be great in a crash, but it's things like City Safety - which is a real driver bonus - and the built-in back seat booster cushions which show how deep and rich the safety vein runs at Volvo.But, better than that, the XC60 is a car which you would never have to justify. Friends might question anyone who buys a safety-first Volvo, but there is far, far more to like in this one and safety is really just the icing on the cake.INSIDE VIEW MODEL: Volvo XC60 T6PRICE: $64,950 as testedFUEL CONSUMPTION: Average on test 10.4L/100km WEIGHT kg SPARE TYRE¬?SCORE: 80/100Rivals:Audi Q5 (from $59,900): 80/100BMW X3 (from $61,830): 74/100Jeep Grand Cherokee (from $66,690): 77/100Nissan Murano: (from $45,990): 80/100

Or more correctly in this case, a step-down right into the gully for the front of the XC60.This is because (a) the test route, in the flowing scrub-laden hills east of Perth, comprises ball-bearing gravel, and (b) the XC60 is not an off-road vehicle.For the uninitiated, ball-bearing gravel is slippery. Oil has less anti-friction qualities and it's rumoured future gearboxes may use Perth gravel to improve cog smoothness.Combine (a) and (b) and you get (c), stuck.And it didn't take much. Just that slip to the left and the front fell into a gully where winter rains once washed. The rear left-side wheel promptly jammed itself against an incline.Even the Volvo's traction system that proudly boasts the ability to switch power to the wheel with the most traction, couldn't pull it free.It came out after getting a tug from one of the convoy's Land Cruisers but the psychological damage was done — this XC60 was not intended to travel trails.If that was its low point, the new rival for the Audi Q5, BMW X3, VW Touareg and Lexus RX came up trumps with its breathtakingly sophisticated safety features and luxuriant comfort qualities.If this is the `next big step` in car safety, what will Volvo wheel out in another 15 years? The only thing the XC60 doesn't do is steer itself.When a car — or more correctly, the driver — changed from the right to left lane (the one occupied by me), the Volvo went into hysterics.The red light ahead of the driver — the one that flashes on the windscreen when the car figures you're travelling too close to the car in front — illuminated, flashed and then an alarm sounded.If you weren't awake by then, you were when the right foot hit the brake pedal and found it firmed and ready for the boot.That saved the front end of the Volvo. On a smaller scale, sensors will also activate the brakes and prevent the car from accidentally rolling into the parked car ahead of you. That's called City Safety and it's standard on all XC60s, regardless of the model.Many insurance companies — one exception being the RAC in WA — promptly offered premium savings of up to 10 per cent on the XC60 because of the crash avoidance qualities of City Safety.But that's not all the XC60 has. There is a lane change warning — the latter using the same heart-wrenching alarm as the frontal impact warning — that monitors the white line down the edge of the road and senses you are drifting out of your lane.There's also BLIS which is an acronym for cameras that monitor vehicles in your blind spots and can save a bingle in freeway traffic manoeuvres.There are park sensors, too, for parking the unexpectedly large proportions of Volvo's medium-sized SUV.Plus, there are ABS brakes with ESC, roll-over mitigation and protection, lots of airbags, seats that prevent the submarining and whip effects on the human body, and so on. It doesn't get much safer than this and only a complete idiot behind the wheel will come to grief.But how does it drive? Despite its presentation as a medium-sized luxury SUV, the XC60 is 1.9-tonnes and is only 180mm shorter than the seven-seat XC90.It feels — as a Volvo should — about as solid and secure on the road as any luxury saloon.But it reveals its weight through corners. Though it's all-wheel drive, the system powers the front wheels and only drives the back when front slip is detected.Handling is good but it's not really a machine to be hurried.The engine is Volvo's long-standing five-cylinder turbo-diesel unit that has few vices and, despite pulling the XC60's portly weight, economical.The six-speed automatic should get most of the credit because it provides a tight set of ratios that suit the engine's narrow rev range.In the dirt the all-wheel drive comes into play. The XC60 feels as secure on gravel roads as it does on bitumen, enhanced by standard electronic stability control that minimises the front and rear from sliding out on corners.It's also comfortable in a supple, rather than soft, manner with excellent sound suppression over the loose-stone roads.Seating is for five and there's decent foot room in the rear thanks to a low centre tunnel.The rear seats split and fold perfectly flat with the large cargo area set over a substantial wheel well with — unfortunately — a space-saver spare.Cabin treatment is all Volvo with plenty of grained leather, simple white-on-black switchgear and high build quality.The electronic park brake supersedes the awkward foot-operated system on other XC models and is a perfect accompaniment to the car's upmarket presentation.SpecsPrice: $64,450Engine: 2.4-litre, inline 5-cyl, turbo-dieselPower: 136kW @ 4000rpmTorque: 400Nm @ 2000-2750rpmPerformance: 0-100km/h: 9.9 seconds, top speed: 200km/hEconomy (official): 8.3 litres/100km, (tested): 9.7 litres/100kmEmissions: 219g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)Transmission: 6-speed automatic, sequential; constant 4WD

It was only a blow-up Volkswagen Polo, and I was only travelling at 25km/h, but my shiny new Volvo XC60 sensed the potential damage and intervened.It slammed on the brakes and we stopped just short of impact. And it did the same miraculous job a few minutes later as I closed on a moving target, sensing the potential for a nasty crash.This is the magic of City Safety, which is standard on every XC60 sold everywhere in the world.It uses a laser tracking system, complicated electronics and a virtual right-foot stop to bring a new level of anti-crash protection to the world. Other companies have similar systems in development but, once again, Volvo is first on another safety frontier.The XC60 goes on sale on March 1 and is the most important car in recent Volvo history, taking the company into new hotbed of competition in the luxury SUV market. The car is priced from $57,950, with three models up to the T6 at $64,950 complete with a turbocharged six-cylinder motor.Volvo will dig deeper into with the XC60 pool in the third quarter of this year with a starter car priced from around $56,000 with a 3.2- litre petrol inline six.The company is hoping the XC60 will be come its best seller, even overtaking the XC90 family wagon and the S40 which has been its passenger car hero in recent years."It's very important for us. It will be our number two seller, behind the seven-seat XC90," says company chief, Alan Desselss."The most important thing is that it brings a new concept of car to the Volvo range. We have the XC90 with seven seats, but this is for people who would normally have gone into a sedan."It's going to be a very competitive sector. The performance and driveability of the vehicle is first class and last, but definitely not least, is the safety. It's well equipped and the quality is there."When you compare it to the likes of a BMX X3, or a Land Rover Freelander, the quality is superb. Especially in that sector."It's a new direction for volvo. You can clearly see where the brand is now going."Driving Driving the XC60 is refreshing and, in some ways, surprising.The car is light and breezy in the cabin, and also feels light to handle and more responsive than some of its rivals - including the BMW X3.The six-cylinder engine gives it real spark, with steering response and cornering grip that is more like a car. It also stops well.The test car in Canberra yesterday was well loaded, but the biggest surprise was the red lights in the dash advising - through the City Safety system - that the car ahead was too close for comfort. A nice reminder, but . . . also a warning about the real stopping distance in traffic.In a lot of ways the XC60 is like Volvo's earlier C30 coupe. It is moving into new terrain and it breaks the traditional Volvo mold.Safety is a given, and Volvo claims the newcomer is the safest car in Australia with protection beyond any five-star rating from ANCAP, but is the quietness, and the refinement and the quality design and finishing that is the nicest thing. And it is not nearly as ponderous as the XC90.It's easy to say a new car is an advance for its brand and certain to do well, but in this case it's even easier because the XC60 is a sure-fire success.Then again, Audi is just about to uncork its compact Q5 and that is going to make things much tougher for the XC60 than any BMX X3. And by 2010 there will also be a Mercedes-Benz GLK in Australia...

Think safe, sensible and Swedish and you automatically think Volvo.But until recently, handling and dynamics were two words you perhaps would not expect in the modern Volvo vocabulary.The Gothenburg-based carmaker hopes the arrival of the XC60 all-wheel-drive wagon will change that.Impeccable safety standards were a given. Volvo says the XC60 is its safest vehicle ever with a host of passive and active nannies, including the new city safety automatic braking system.But the engineers want street credibility and respect, and that comes only with exacting dynamics and high levels of handling.Volvo looked to Germany for inspiration and modelled the XC60's ride, steering and handling on the BMW X3, according to head of dynamics Stefan Svensson.It is clear this Volvo is aiming high, but the company believes it can also tackle such key rivals as the Land Rover Freelander, Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK and eventually the BMW X1.XC60 project director Lars Blenwall says designers concentrated on “finding exactly the right balance between sportiness and comfort, for the chassis and for the car as a whole”.He believes the new city safety system, standard when the car arrives here in March, provides another persuasive safety argument.“It is important for us to be leaders in safety,” he says.This device uses a laser beam to automatically stop the car at speeds up to 30km/h if the system's laser detects a vehicle in front.City safety is located behind the rearview mirror and scans up to 6m ahead.If the system detects a crash risk, the brakes “pre-charge” to react faster if the driver touches the pedal. If the driver doesn't brake, collision avoidance kicks in to stop the car.Blenwall says about 30 per cent of all accidents are rear-enders and in 50 per cent of those the driver does not brake at all.Visually the XC60 shares some of its signature design traits with the rest of the XC range: strong shoulder line, rear light clusters, even a 230mm ground clearance to make it look low and sleek.Head designer Steve Mattin describes it as the “boldest crossover so far” from Volvo.“This car is charged with more emotive form and far more energy than any previous Volvo model,” he says. “The XC60 is the next step in modern Scandinavian design.”The wagon also previews Volvo's new face with arched headlights, deep contoured V-shape bonnet and a pronounced grille with an enlarged Volvo badge.The wagon is 200mm shorter than the XC70 but underneath it shares much with that model and the S80.But the car is tuned specifically to handling in a sporty manner. The dampers are 70 per cent stiffer than those in the XC70, the rollbars 10 per cent stiffer and the XC60's steering system is much stiffer and stronger. Front and rear suspension bushings are also stiffer but, according to Blenwall, maintain good noise suppression.The luggage compartment swallows 495 litres with the seatbacks up, 1455 litres with them folded. As in the V70 and XC70, the rear seat is a three-piece 40/20/40 split/fold unit.The dynamic stability and traction control system has been upgraded to include a trailer stability assist system and the roll mitigation device first fitted to the XC90. Hill descent control and Volvo's Four-C adaptive suspension are expected to be optional.In Australia there will be two models — the T6 with a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder and the D5, which shares its turbo-diesel five-cylinder engine with other Volvos.The 3.0-litre T6 engine is based on the 3.2-litre version used in the S80. It develops 210kW at 5600 revs and 400Nm from 1500 to 4800 revs. This gives a top speed of 210km/h and a zero to 100km/h sprint time of 7.5 seconds.Because of the engine's smaller bore and shorter stroke the turbo has a smaller displacement. This is compensated for by the latest twin-scroll turbocharger technology, delivering fast response low down in the rev range. Volvo claims it is on a par with twin turbocharged engines as far as power delivery goes.The five-cylinder D5 diesel develops 136kW at 4000 revs and 400Nm between 2000 and 2750 revs.It has a top speed of 200km/h and zero to 100km/h sprint time of 9.9 seconds.As with all Volvos, the XC60 is sturdily built, making extensive use of high-strength steel. The ultra-rigid body helps with the chassis set-up and suspension tuning.Weight is evenly distributed between the front and rear axles, which contributes to good balance and traction.Both the diesel and petrol engines are transverse and mated to a fourth-generation Haldex all-wheel-drive system and six-speed Geartronic sequential automatic transmissions.Volvo says the AWD system reacts quicker than previous systems.The MacPherson front suspension and multi-link rear broad track also contribute to excellent directional stability.Local pricing is yet to be confirmed but Volvo Cars Australia spokeswoman Laurissa Mirabelli hopes it will start at $60,000 or less.The XC60, like the XC70, will be available in base and LE models.Mirabelli says the company is looking at several “packs” such as a technology pack that will bundle satellite navigation, xenon headlights, blind-spot information system and Bluetooth; and a luxury pack that will include a panoramic sunroof.A normally aspirated 2.4-litre petrol engine and lower-capacity 120kW/340Nm turbodiesel model are available in Europe but these are unlikely for Australia, Mirrabelli says.The XC60 will also be available in front-wheel drive only in Europe but this is not expected to be part of the local line-up.Mirabelli says the core value of the XC range includes AWD and it is something Volvo Cars Australia is likely to maintain.However, she is quick to utter “never say never” when it comes to future models.“All things are under evaluation,” she says.DRIVINGThe XC60 is perhaps the first Volvo all-wheel-drive in recent memory that you could seriously call sporty.For a large, heavy wagon, that is saying something. Volvo has learned valuable lessons from BMW and managed to give the XC60 a distinctly sporty on-road personality.Everything from the dampers and anti-roll bars to the suspension bushes and geometry are tuned for a more involving feel.Despite using the same underpinnings as the S80 and V70 and Ford's Mondeo, the XC60 benefits from further finessing that results in a well-sorted chassis.The ride on super-smooth European roads is good. Handling is neutral and predictable and there's a sense of spriteliness in T6 guise that belies the wagon's weight.But all those safety systems and high-strength steel come at a price — paid in weight. The D5 auto tips the scales at 1842kg, making it 32kg heavier than the XC70 D5 but 187kg lighter than the XC90 D5. The petrol T6 is 1901kg.Hardly surprising then that the gruff five-cylinder diesel is a slow starter off the line, though performance feels more urgent once the diesel is rolling.The 3.0-litre six is our pick. It is smooth, quiet and accelerates rapidly to freeway speed. Throw a few twisty mountain corners at the XC60 and you'll be pleasantly surprised. There's no hint of the wallowing or steering vagueness that's felt in the XC90 or XC70.The overall driving experience is something we've not seen in a recent Volvo off-roader. It will challenge the perception that the Swedes build safe but dynamically dull cars, and we suspect quite a few XC70 buyers — and even some XC90 buyers — will prefer the XC60 purely for its dynamics.At any speed it is extremely refined, with superb seats and a quiet cabin, apart from some wind noise around the wing mirrors.Visibility is also good despite the shallow glasshouse. Volvo has managed to give the XC60 strength without resorting to thick pillars that obscure vision.Like all Volvo wagons, it has a practical boot and the 40/20/40 split seatbacks add to the car's versatility.The XC60 also ticks all the right boxes when it comes to looks. INSIDE VIEWVOLVO XC60PRICE From $60,000ENGINES 2.4-litre five-cylinder turbodiesel (D5); 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder (T6)POWER 136kW at 4000 revs (D5); 210kW at 5600 revs (T6)TORQUE 400Nm from 2000-2750 revs (D5); 400Nm from 1500-4800 revs (T6)TRANSMISSION Six-speed sequential automaticECONOMY 8.3 litres/100km (D5); 11.9 litres/100km (T6)EMISSIONS 219g/km CO2 (D6), 294g/km (T6)

More accurately, under its “Vision Zero” plan it proposes no fatalities in Volvo cars. This is the task that falls on the shoulders of Volvo's safety strategies manager, Jan Ivarsson, who runs the company's safety centre at Gothenburg.“Yes, I think we can build the uncrashable car,” he says. “It has been acceptable that people die in cars. In the future, I don't think this attitude will be socially acceptable. You parallel that with aircraft accidents from frequent deaths in the earlier years to very low fatalities today. We no longer accept aircraft collisions.”Last year, 1.2 million people died in car accidents around the world. The data — from intense research by Volvo, which it makes available to its parent company Ford — starts by isolating the actions of the driver.“If you ensure the driver is awake, alert and sober, you have a very good start on the way to minimising car crashes,” Ivarsson says. “Then the driver must have information of the driving environment. This includes making the right road choice for the journey, staying in the right lane, travelling at the right speed, and so on.”But humans can and do make mistakes. Here, Volvo sees that drivers need some assistance.Clearly Ivarsson believes that to attain Volvo's ambitious “Vision Zero” crash-victim plan, the car will have to take over many driving tasks.“Think of it like an auto-pilot in aircraft,” he says. “We would like to have the driver in the loop but in the future, it could be that it is the car that is in control. We make dynamic cars that are fun to drive and a lot of our customers thoroughly enjoy driving. But we recognise that a lot of things start with the driver's attitude and experience.“We shouldn't forget that the factors involved in a crash, however, also involve authorities (road builders, government driver licensing departments, police, etc) and carmakers. We all have a role to play and a duty to perform to minimise car fatalities.”So is Vision Zero workable by 2020? “It's very challenging,” Ivarsson says.That aside, in its path towards Vision Zero, Volvo this week unveiled a raft of sophisticated safety features. Most will be encapsulated in the company's new compact crossover wagon, the XC60, which launches in Europe in October and Australia early next year. Some of the XC60's features are pointers to achieving Vision Zero.The most radical is a low-speed crash avoidance system called City Safety. It will be standard equipment on the XC60, primarily because Volvo is concerned buyers will ignore it as an expensive and seemingly trite option.Consisting of sonar hardware and algorithm-based software, City Safety prevents a car crashing into the back of another at speeds of less than 30km/h. Small fry? Not at all. Using data from 6.3 million police-reported crashes, Volvo found 29 per cent were rear-end prangs.Within those crashes, a huge 75 per cent occurred at less than 30km/h. Put the two together and you see why Volvo is occupying its research and development — or a significant slice of it — at the lower end of the accidents.The reason is that such crashes are expensive to repair, costly when added to time spent by vehicle owners, expensive to administer and police, and perhaps more importantly, can cause injury through whiplash. City Safety eradicates all of that. It could even save the owner money.Volvo, spurred by research by Australian car clubs that spelled out the very high cost of low-speed crashes, is now in discussions with Australian insurance companies. It is quietly confident that owners of Volvo XC60 models can, from next year, get significant premium discounts at selected insurers.Volvo is the first company to devise the system and, after protecting its investment for the next 12 months, will then offer it to other carmakers.It will also roll it out to other Volvo models, and into the Ford group.“It is a very important safety feature,” says Ivarsson. “It rates alongside our other world firsts, starting with the three-point seatbelt in 1959, the catalytic converter with lambda sond (oxygen sensor) in 1976, the seat whiplash system and inflatable curtain airbag, both in 1998. It also reflects our shift from passive safety to preventative safety — it's all about getting it right before the crash.”Volvo officially unveiled the XC60 this month claiming it is “the safest Volvo ever.”This is a car for the family that has all the high-end luxury features in a nimble, attractive package. Though it appears to hit the spot, it soon won't be alone in its market segment.It will rival upcoming compact luxury SUVs including the Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi Q5, new BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLK and even a baby Lexus. The market already has the Mazda CX-7, Toyota Kluger, Ford Territory, Nissan Murano and others, so there's plenty of choice.It is 20mm shorter than its sister, the XC70, and lower than its bigger sister, the XC90.It's quite heavy, with a range of 1825kg to 1990kg depending on the model and the fittings, which is on par with the XC70.There will be three engines, starting at the top with Volvo's three-litre in-line six-cylinder turbocharged T6 petrol unit.There are also two five-cylinder turbocharged diesels; the D5 with 136kW and 400Nm and the 2.4-litre 2.4D, with 120kW and 340Nm.There is no four-cylinder option and none will be offered in the near future. However, 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. How a sensor will stop you crashingCity Safety is obvious externally only by the peepholes at the centre top of the windscreen. These give the laser sensors their view of the road ahead and can detect vehicles and other objects up to 10m from the car's front bumper.The sensors use a complex computer software program that has access to the car's brakes, therefore overriding the driver. At its safety centre south of Gothenburg on Sweden's wintry west coast, the demonstration involved an inflatable “car” parked ahead of the test car — you can't be too sure about new technology.You are told to pretend you are in traffic and to drive forward at 30km/h, which is surprisingly fast, and aim for the 'car.'Closer and closer, I'm desperately preventing a jump on to the brake pedal. At a point that feels too late to stop, the brakes suddenly grip hard. The noise of the system as it engages its ABS brake system shocks me. Combined with the sudden stop, I'm quickly alert and move my foot to depress the brake pedal.The system will only hold the car for 1-2 seconds, figuring correctly that I'm now awake. The abruptness and noise is deliberate.It stops the car quickly and ensures the driver knows exactly what's going on. If it was a graduated process, I'm told, the driver would become complacent.It will be standard on the XC60 early next year and other Volvos later. SnapshotVolvo XC60On sale in Australia: March 2009Price: TBA — expected in the $49,000-$62,000 rangeEngine: T6 3L/6-cylinder turbo 210kW/400Nm; 2.4L/5-cyl turbo-diesel D5 136kW/400Nm, 2.4L/5-cyl 2.4D 120kW/340NmEconomy: 0-100km/h: 7.5sec (T6); 9.9sec (D5); 10.9sec (2.4D)