Volvo Flexes its Safety Muscles with 2015 XC90

Volvo Run off Road protection (Credit: © Volvo)

Volvo has a solid reputation for history, boasting safety innovations like the three-point safety belt. In recent years, many other car companies have tried to close the gap as they have realized that car owners don’t want to die in a fiery crash. Just when some people might be prone to say that Volvo is no longer the king of car safety, it has released some information about the XC90, and they are incredibly impressive.

To start off, the crossover could be classified as a mini-tank, considering that 40 percent of its body is made of ultra-high strength steel. The vehicle also has auto braking, a feature that many other vehicles now come with, but it detects intersections and not just other cars. The automatic braking feature also works if the driver tries to turn in front of an oncoming car, a feature that so far is unheard of in the industry. Essentially, the car monitors other vehicles and objects all around it, instead of just what lies straight ahead.

A run-off road protection system not only detects when the Volvo XC90 is about to go off the road, it also automatically tightens the seatbelts to ensure everyone is braced for impact. The seats cushions are designed for spinal protection and there is even a system that helps the car crash into a ditch as softly as possible, minimizing damage and the risk of injury. The brake pedal even breaks away to protect the driver’s ankle in a frontal collision, all without losing brake pressure.

The new model will be released soon enough, but it’s likely that there are more safety innovations the Swedes haven’t revealed yet.