Volvo will this month start production of its new mid-size SUV which will have some of the most advanced automotive safety features on New Zealand roads when it arrives later this year.
The new XC60 will be equipped with new safety technology capable of autonomously avoiding head on collisions and is believed to be one of the safest vehicles ever made.
A new safety system called Oncoming Lane Mitigation uses Steer Assist to help mitigate head-on collisions, while Volvo’s Blind Spot Indication System uses Steer Assist functionality to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions.
The XC60 is the best selling, premium mid-sized SUV in Europe with nearly a million units sold worldwide. It represents around 30% of Volvo’s total annual global sales and around 26% of sales in the New Zealand.
Volvo’s New Zealand general manager Coby Duggan says the company is investing significantly in new technology to make the roads safer for all users.
“The Euro NCAP’s three best-ever performing cars are Volvo’s and Volvo has become the first car maker to score a full six points in the Autonomous Emergency Braking for Pedestrians (AEB Pedestrian) test procedure."
“As the vehicles move closer to being able to make their own decisions, anticipating and protecting other road users is also given the highest priority,” he says.
The new XC60 will leave the factory 90 years to the month after the first ever Volvo, the ÖV4, was introduced on April 14th 1927.
This first Volvo sold a total of 275 vehicles in its lifetime, which was modest even in those days. The new XC60 replaces one of the best-selling model in Volvo’s 90-year history.