When it comes to safety, Volvo is second to none. Just recently where a Volvo S60 received a Good rating in a new kind of stringent crash test by IIHS, Volvo V40 garnered a 5-star crash safety rating by EuroNCAP. More good news, the V40 has the best result ever tested in EuroNCAP! With the almost perfect 98% adult occupant rating and 88% for pedestrian safety, these are the top scores ever given by EuroNCAP to a car!
The impressive pedestrian safety performance is due to the innovative design of the front end where it has pop-up bonnet as well as pedestrian airbag that raises the rear portion of the bonnet as it inflates to cover the windscreen and A-pillars.The airbag will greatly reduces the injury of the pedestrian's head when collision between the car and pedestrian is imminent.
Other than that, the V40 has technology like Pedestrian Protection to help detect pedestrians in front of the car, warn the driver of the 'hazards' (pedestrians, that is) by emitting sound and will perform automatic braking if the driver couldn't react in time. Other safety features such as Volvo City Safety and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) are available as standard and this enables the V40 to achieve 100% in Safety Assist.
However, the V40 is awarded with 75% for the child occupants, which is lower when compared to other cars' child occupant result released in the same batch such as Ford B-Max and Kia Cee'd. But still, the result is considered good.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has unveiled a new kind of crash test. Instead of crash testing a car in conventional sense, which is in full frontal and 40% offset (above, left) condition, IIHS introduced a new small overlap crash test (above, right) which collides 25% of a car's front end into a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40mph (64km/h). This is to simulate a car colliding with a small pole, tree or even a car in similar fashion.
The crash test result is dumbfounding. Out of 11 vehicles crash tested, only Volvo S60 and Acura TL earn good rating. Volvo will be glad that its reputation in safety can be retained. Infiniti G earns acceptable rating, while Acura TSX, BMW 3-Series, Lincoln MKZ and Volkswagen CC earn marginal ratings. Shockingly, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Lexus IS and Lexus ES300 earn poor ratings.
Let's compare the Volvo S60 (good) with the Lexus IS (poor). The top 2 show the Lexus IS' occupant compartment deformed greatly into the occupants' survival space while the bottom 2 show the Volvo S60 retained its survival space relatively well. This is hugely because Volvo beefed up the upper frame rail in the front fenders (above the front wheels). The weaker Lexus IS' front wheel intruded into the driver's footwell, causing it to pin against the driver's leg. Ouch!
If the occupant's compartment is not stiff enough to withstand the impact, the steering wheel and dashboard might move out of position, causing the driver's head to miss the airbag such as in the case of this Lincoln MKZ below. Now do you realize the importance of this small overlap crash test? Hope more car manufacturers will pay more attention in this area in the future.
Volvo's City Safety, Ford's Active City Stop and Honda's Collision Mitigation Brake System are common safety features found in cars. They are designed to provide Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) to cars to avoid collision with other cars or even pedestrians whenever it is possible! EU legistration had recently announced that all commercial vehicles must be fitted with AEB by November 2013, and everything else by 2014. This will benefit the consumers in getting safer vehicles on the road.
Other than that, AEB will soon be a standard safety feature if a car want to be awarded 5-star in EuroNCAP crash test. This step is similar to current method where the assessment in Adult Occupant Protection, Child Protection, Pedestrian Protection and Safety Assist influence the overall rating of a car's crash test. This shows that a car has to fare well in every other aspect to be known as a safe car.
AEB uses sensor to detect any obstacle or pedestrian in some systems, calculates and apply the appropriate braking force to bring the car into complete halt if possible without the driver stepping on the brake pedal. Eventhough a collision is imminent in some conditions, at least AEB will be able to reduce the speed of the travelling car. It's a common knowledge that lower speed can lessen the injury of the occupant inside the car or the pedestrian outside the car, right?
It's amazing to see the effort put in by Volvo in saving lives. Now, Volvo take it into another level by also paying attention at pedestrian safety. The latest offering from Volvo - the V40 comes with many innovation to reduce the injury of the pedestrian if the V40 crashes into them.
Let's check out some of the safety features the V40 has:
Pedestrian Airbag Technology When the sensors in the front bumper detects physical contact with the pedestrian, the rear-end of the bonnet will pop-up and airbag will be deployed from there. The inflated airbag will cover one-third of the windscreen and will help to reduce head injury of the pedestrian.
Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake The system pays attention at the side of the road and if a pedestrian suddenly leap out and in front of the V40, the system will apply full braking power if the driver doesn't react to the initial audible and flashing light in the head-up display.
Road Sign Information
A forward looking camera will detect road signs such as the speed limit signage. Let's say if the driver is driving at 100km/h at a 90km/h zone, the system will warn the driver in the instrument panel. The problem is some roads in Malaysia has speed limit signage of 40-60km/h but actually it's safe to be travelled at a higher speed! Hope this system can be turn off or else, Malaysian's driver will be annoyed!
Cross Trafic Alert
This system uses the sensors at the back to sense the traffic from both side up to 30 meters. An audible and visual warning will be issued when it detects incoming cars. This is very useful when you have to reverse out of your parking lot while a tall MPV or SUV is parked beside you, blocking your view.
The Volvo V40's design seriously put its competitors like Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series to shame! From far you'll know that it's a Volvo but it loses the boxiness of a C30. Speaking of C30, the V40 is the replacement model for C30 and S40 sedan. Probably Volvo might release a sedan version of it soon.
Unfortunately there is no information on the V40 other than these pictures released by Volvo. The rear view bears some resemblances of the C30, but it's more well executed and meaner looking, like asking the tailgaters to keep a further distance from the V40!
Interior wise, the cabin has the same theme as the S60. Dark coloured with chrome, lots of it, around the cabin. As a Volvo, the V40 also comes with dozens of safety feature abbreviations and the highlight will be for pedestrian protection. The bonnet will pop up and airbag will be deployed at the base of the windscreen to reduce head injury of the pedestrian. The V40 certainly looks promising and am looking forward for a sedan version, if there is any.
Volvo Malaysia teased us with the image above in their Facebook page, stating that the 'wicked' one is coming to malaysia next month! If you take a closer look at the silhouette, you'll notice that it is similar to Volvo S60. Yes, that's right, it's the V60 that you are looking at, the wagon/estate form of the S60!
The V60 proves that wagons doesn't have to look boxy and boring. It has the sleek lines of S60 until the rear of the V60. Sloping roofline and curvy window line help in creating a lower visual of the car.
While there is no extra information on the wicked V60 which is bound to hit our shore soon, it should come with the same engine choices found in the naughty S60. The T4 has a 1.6litre engine capable of producing 180bhp and 240Nm while the T5 has a 2.0litre engine with 240bhp and 320Nm.
Too bad not many in Malaysia appreciate cars in wagon form, albeit wagons provide more flexible and larger cargo space than sedan. Hope the V60 will be the exceptional one with its sporty styling!
If you've lost touch to the outside world since a decade ago, you will be filled with disbelief if I present the 2011 Volvo S60 to you and tell you it is a Volvo. The S60 is no doubt one of the best products had ever created by Volvo. Comtemporary and sleek styling, not to mention the safest Volvo to date, which is claimed by Volvo themselves. When Volvo says the S60 is the best, you wouldn't have to think hard to know how good the S60 is when it comes to safety...
S60 T4 (left) and S60 T5 (right)
While the Volvo XC60 is Volvo's best looking SUV, the S60 is Volvo's most attractive sedan to date. It has dynamic design that no one would ever possibly imagine a Volvo will be a decade ago. The low slung roofline promotes a coupe-like silhouette, but thankfully this is achieved without sacrificing the rear occupants' headroom.
Settling in the driver's seat and you'll find the driver-focused cockpit centre console and instrument panel looks upmarket and good build quality. Another worth mentioning is the comfortable and supportive seats, together with high quality leather make it one of the best seats I've ever sat in a car. Thanks to the supportive seat which feels like it is hugging you (in a comfortable way), I felt safe already even before the car started moving!
Being a Volvo, a mile long list of safety abbreviations are installed in the S60. For instance, Side Impact Protection System (SIPS), Fading Brake Support (FBS), Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), so on and so forth. Speaking of BLIS, I've experienced its effectiveness for the first time when the system informed me that a car appeared in my left side blind spot after I switched on my indicator. It saved my life!!! *exaggerating*
Volvo promises a more engaging drive with its S60, and yes, Volvo did it! Good handling accompanied by superb powertrain. The T4 was powered by a 1.6litre turbocharged engine with 180bhp and 240Nm of torque at 1600-5000rpm. The responsive powertrain is mated to a 6 speed Powershift with Geartronic, but the gear change was not as smooth as I've expected. The engine, however, provide strong pulling power thanks to the high torque figure and turbocharger.
While the brake felt strong and effective, I have to refrain my leg from stepping on the brake pedal too hard because the brake bites harder than some Japanese manufactured car.
The Swede has created a superior sedan that would give its competitors a run for their money. Priced at RM220,000 for the S60 T4, it is a sexy, sporty, sophisticated and safe car that you would never go wrong buying it.
Some said the CBU Volvo S60 sold previously in Malaysia is overpriced, translated that it was rare to see a Volvo S60 on the road, until now. Volvo Car Malaysia had launched the CKD S60 with two variants - T4 & T5. Unfortunately, the much more expensive, top of the range T6 is only available in CBU form (but with the best looking alloy wheel!).
Both the Volvo S60 T4 & T5 are equipped with four cylinder, Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDi) engine and mated with six-speed Powershift gearbox, where the engines has small cc but big in power due to the turbocharger. The T4 has a 1.6litre engine capable of producing 180bhp and 240Nm, comparable to some 2.0litre or larger capacity engine! 0-100 in 9.0secs and a top speed of 225km/h, not bad for a car of its size.
On the other hand, the T5 has a 2.0litre engine with 240bhp and 320Nm. 0-100km/h in 7.5secs and a top speed of 230 km/h. Bring it on, Volkswagen Scirocco!
17 inch 'Njord' wheel for T5 (left) while 'Balder' wheel for T4 (right)
Volvo is not skimpy (never will) when it comes to putting safety features to its car, even for the cheapest T4. Both T4 and T5 has the same amount of safety features such as City Safety, Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB) with Pedestrian Protection, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) with Advanced Stability Control and many more.
What's best about T4 and T5 is their price. Being a CKD, it will be priced significantly lower than CBU models, where the T4 is selling at RM220,000 while T5 at RM255,000 OTR without insurance. A whooping RM33k difference between the CBU T5 and CKD T5 if you compare. With the reduced pricing and extensive list of safety features, not to mention great performance, a S60 T4 will certainly be enough for me! May I have one please? *puppy eyes*
The sexy, naughty Scandanavian beast - Volvo S60 is finally available in Malaysia in two variants - 2.0 T5 selling at RM288K while 3.0 T6 all wheel drive selling at RM348K. Available in 15 choice of colours and sexy styling, it will make sure onlookers has their eyes glued to it when it passes by.
Volvo, being the 'leader' in automotive safety, has proved that safety doesn't come at the cost of style. The latest product in Volvo's 'catalog' promises style, performance and safety altogether in a same package. The S60 has sloping roofline like a Passat CC, but doesn't compromise interior headroom compared to the latter. Its front end bears some resemblances with XC60 and other recent products produced by Volvo, while the rear end is also unmistakeably a Volvo, but both with a whole lot of sexiness.
Plush and high quality materials are used for the S60's interior, while you'll never run out of style with its sophisticated looking dashboard design. Chromes are also added at the right place to give a tad of classiness in the midst of dark, premium ambience.
Under the bonnet, the T5's engine (T means turbocharged), which is a 2.0litre engine which produces 240bhp and, mated with a six-speed Powershift gearbox. You can get from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds in the T5. The more powerful T6 is powered by a 3.0litre engine which has 304bhp coupled with a six-speed automatic Geartronic transmission, is capable of going from 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds!
Don't expect a Volvo to handle like a Porsche, but S60 isn't that bad either. T5 gets dynamic chassis as standard, but T6 comes with Four-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) which is a self-adjusting chassis with Comfort, Sport and Advance mode.
There are tons of acronyms used for Volvo safety features and as a product from Volvo, the S60 wouldn't be lacking of any as well. Volvo and safety is like a shark and remora, a lightbulb with electricity - something that any Volvo wouldn't be lacking of. T5 and T6 both have features such as Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) with Advanced Stability Control and Traction Torque Vectoring, Pedestrian Detection that works together with City Safety that works up to 35km/h.
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB), Driver Alert Control (DAC) which detects and alerts sleepy and distracted drivers and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Queue Assist are also available as standard for both variants. T6, however, will get extra features like Lane Departure Warning that warns the driver that he/she crosses his lane without switching on the indicator. A class-D digital 5x130W amplifier, Dolby Digital in combination with Dolby Pro Logic II Surround, MultEQ from Audyssey Laboratories and 12 speakers is also only available for T6.
The Volvo S60 is indeed a great package with its generous list of equipment and reasonable pricing. A worthy contender of BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class is here!
Volvo Car Malaysia has launched the Volvo XC60 2.0 Turbo Powershift model, which is the second model after the XC60 T6 model which is launched last year. While the latter is a CBU model priced at RM330K to RM360K, the former is priced at RM281,950 because it is a CKD model.
With a four-cylinder 2.0T GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection), 203 hp at 6,000 rpm engine, it's mated with a 6 speed dual clutch transmission. It's a drop from the 3.0cc turbocharged T6 engine which produces 285bhp. However, the former engine should be able to provide a lively driving experience too.
The oh-so-gorgeous XC60 is no doubt one of the most attractive looking SUV around. Certainly a great effort by Volvo in changing people's perception on how boxy and boring Volvo cars will look! The sexiness doesn't only applied to the exterior but to the interior as well. The cabin looks upmarket thanks to the 2-tone colour dashboard, wood and chrome finishing in the right place.
When we mention about Volvo, we'll think of safety. Although the price is cheaper now, this CKD XC60 is not low in safety features. It has 6 airbags, Roll Stability Control (RSC), Ready Alert Brakes (RAB) and Fading Brake Support (FBS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with distance alert, Rollover Protection System (ROPS), Active Bending Lights (ABL) and Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC). And the list goes on...
Child seat.
Now with the lower pricing, it furthers the Xc60's distance with its elder sibling, the XC90 which is selling at around RM330K. This will encourage more people to buy the XC60 with the added value for money.
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Volvo S60R and V60R is the sportiest Volvo ever! In the R-Design chassis, Volvo had sharpened the steering and the agility of the S60 and V60!
On the inside, the driver and front passenger sit in sports seats in which the backrest from the S60 and V60 is matched by an all-new seat cushion with even closer side support than before.
Safety engineering of automobile has been all about R&D and innovation. The main purpose of developing safer car is the minimize occupants' injury or reduce fatality in an event of an accident.
Some of the innovative safety features available in the market now:
Toyota iQ's rear windscreen airbag
Ford's seatbelt airbag
About a month ago I help a friend of mine wrote his speech for his English presentation. It is about Volvo's safety development, where Volvo is famous for its historic reputation of safety.
Below is the essay for it which I found might be useful for students who would want to do the same topic in the future:
"VOLVO"
Volvo is a Swedish car manufacturer founded in 1927. Since then, Volvo had been very committed in safety engineering. That’s why Volvo has a good reputation in terms of safety of its cars.
Every time when you buckle up your seatbelt, does it remind you that the life-saving device is actually invented by Volvo? After the invention of seatbelt, Volvo has invented or installed other safety features such as airbags, Side Impact Protection System and City Safety. So, why Volvo cars are safer than other manufacturers’ cars? It is because of Volvo’s commitment to safety which we will discuss later.
Volvo Safety Centre
Volvo reputation on safety doesn’t come at a cheap price. Volvo spent millions on crash testing and crashed almost one hundred of cars per annum. Other than that, Volvo’s research and development department continues to develop better and safer features to be installed in their cars.
Volvo launched its new $81 million crash safety laboratory to provide data on frontal, offset and side collisions together with rollover test. The Volvo Safety Center is one of the world’s most advanced crash test facilities and is capable of modeling nearly every aspect of auto collisions both in physical and virtual environments.
Volvo also has 100 different crash-test dummies representing men, women and children of different sizes, weights and ages. There are different dummies used for different situations and different purpose. Volvo even made a pregnant dummy named Linda to analyse how to reduce injuries on pregnant woman in an event of a crash.
Pedestrian safety
The Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake feature detects pedestrians in front of the vehicle and automatically applies the car's full braking power if the driver fails to brake in time. This new technology should help the driver avoid collisions with pedestrians at speeds below 20kmh. If the car is being driven faster, the aim is to reduce the impact speed as much as possible. It will reduce the collision force by about 75 percent.
In an emergency situation, the driver first gets an audible warning together with a flashing light in the windscreen's head-up display that looks like a brake light in front of the vehicle. This is to warn and demand a reaction from driver to avoid the collision.
This shows that Volvo’s commitment to safety is not only to Volvo car buyers, but also for everybody else on the road.
Rollover Protection
Thanks to the extensive research in crash testing, Volvo is able to design safer car to reduce occupants’ injuries. Volvo is also aiming to produce zero-fatality car by the year 2020!
Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC) and Roll Stability Control (RSC) have saved and are saving numerous drivers and their passengers from life endangering situations. Both systems are used to prevent rollover from happening. If a rollover is imminent, Rollover Protection System (ROPS) will protect the occupants by inflating the side airbags and tighten the seatbelts.
Roof strength is also an important factor in protecting the occupants in a rollover. High strength metal is used in the design of the roof support beams. These act as a safety cell preventing the roof from caving in on the passengers and keeping the cabin structurally safe.
Finally I watched the highly anticipated Twilight: New Moon in cinema!
As usual, the main characters Edward Cullen was portrayed by the charming Robert Pattinson, Bella Swan by Kristen Stewart and Jacob by Taylor Lautner.
One thing that got my hook on to Twilight was the love between Edward and Bella. They are still together after a lot of ups and downs in their life.
To me, Twilight 3 is the best of all Twilight movies. It has actions and the storyline was better than Twilight 2. Now they even have newborn vampires that controlled by Victoria trying to kill Bella so that Edward will feel wat she felt when Edward killed her lover. Cullen's family joined forces with the werewolf pack and destroyed Victoria.
Robert Pattinson is a lucky guy! He kissed Kristen Stewart, drove the Volvo C30 in the first Twilight movie and he drove the Volvo XC60 in this Twilight movie!
Perhaps he'll get a Volvo S60 for the fourth installment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn :)
"Does he has any shirt?" Edward said to Bella in one of the movie scene when they saw Jacob shirtless.
That was quite humourous since Jacob was always shirtless in the movie to show off his buff body!
I love the Cullen family! In this installment also included the stories of how the vampires of the Cullen's family transformed from human.
Btw, I watched this Twilight movie with only a male fren of mine. Who says 2 guys cannot watch a romance film in the cinema? LoL!
