2009 Volvo XC60 – First Steer

“Not only does it look the goods but Volvo’s newest

Driven: Volvo XC60 D5 – $57,950 / XC60 T6 – $64,950

If I told you to drive at 15km/h towards the slower moving car in front of you, and not to brake if you see the car stop, you would have me committed for psychiatric evaluation before being confined to a padded cell.

Well that’s precisely what we did this week on a closed track under instructions from a senior Volvo technician. He even told me to look at him and not the road, as I drove Volvo’s new XC60 towards the bright orange blow up car.

Miraculously, the XC60 came to a dead stop albeit suddenly, and way beyond my comfort zone some 40 centimetres or less, from the blow up car.

This same scenario can happen to anyone driving in stop/star peak hour traffic. A millisecond lapse in concentration. The car in front slams on its brakes …

But if you’re lucky enough to be driving a Volvo XC60 at around 15km/h give or take, and not watching the road ahead as the car in front stops suddenly, chances are you won’t crash.

A few years ago this was pure science fiction, not any more. It’s a world first for Volvo and it’s called “City Safety”. Equally impressive, is the fact that it’s a standard feature 6-8 metres in front is moving slower or at a standstill. If the speed differential between two cars is less than 16km/h, then “City Safety” will brake the XC60 to a standstill, thus avoiding a nasty shunt.

If the speed differential is greater than 15km/h the system may not stop the car fully, but will at least reduce the speed and therefore, the severity of the impact.

We tried this at just over 20km/h as we drove towards a giant airbag attached to a boom on a moving vehicle and again, with my foot on the accelerator “City Safety” braked the car and avoided a crash.

The New South Wales motorist’s organisation, the NRMA, is impressed too, with premiums for XC60 said to be up to 20 percent cheaper than it would be if it didn’t have the technology.

My test car was armed with every bit of high-tech safety wizardry that Volvo could squeeze into this mid-size crossover, but none impressed me more than their Lane Departure Warning (LDW). This piece of technology could save you and your passenger’s lives.

You’re punting along at speeds over 65km/h and for whatever reason; the car starts to wander into the lane next to you, its happened to all of us at one time or another.

Volvo’s system uses a digital camera to monitor lane markings and the car’s position on the road. If your car strays out of its lane, three audible beeps will alert you before a potential incident occurs. It’s a brilliant system, which works exactly as described.

If someone mentions ‘safety’ and ‘car’ in the same sentence, you think Volvo; they own automotive safety, outright, but with the XC60 – they may well have made a clean sweep for the best-styled, mid-size SUV too.

Coupe-like in appearance, and very close to the stunning XC60 Concept car it was based upon, it’s the first Volvo penned by British born Steve Mattin, who’s achievements include the original Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the first version of the current Mercedes-Benz SL.