Volvo Military Sales - Press Releases
The Volvo C30 is ranked highest in total quality among "small specialty cars" in Strategic Vision's quality survey on the American website ForbesAuto.com.
C30 scored 908 out of 1,000 points and came first in the category "Small specialty car under $30,000". The Strategic Vision survey found that owners particularly like its exterior styling and workmanship, power and safety. The Volvo gives its drivers a sense of freedom and individuality while meeting needs for comfort and convenience, the report says.
The Strategic VisionÕs quality survey is broken out in 19 categories. Besides counting physical defects, the survey measures how a vehicle affects an owner's emotions and impulses. 166 different factors were looked at to assess the total quality of the vehicle. A total of 20,655 car owners responded.
USM Starting price is $22,610
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Fuel efficient Volvos ranked high in US
Volvo Cars has three models in the ten most fuel-efficient cars in their class on sale in the United States. The S40 and V50 came sixth and the C30 was placed tenth in ForbesAutos.comÕs ranking of the most economical luxury cars.
Seven of the top ten cars in this list are from European manufacturers. The remaining three are Japanese models. Mike Omotoso of J.D. Power and Associates commented to ForbesAutos.com that European manufacturers have had to be conscious of fuel economy for decades:
"In Europe, high-tech includes good performance coupled with good fuel economy."
The Volvo S40 and V50 with 2.4-litre engine was placed sixth in the fuel-efficiency rankings. The C30 with 2.5-litre turbo engine came tenth.
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
The automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, USA, has announced its annual Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA), of which three category winners were Volvos.
An "ideal" is defined as an excellent or perfect example. So, in search of the ideal vehicle, AutoPacific asked owners to rate their model year 2008 cars and trucks using a measurement of 15 key vehicle attributes.
According to AutoPacific, "The Volvo S40 was the clear winner in the Luxury Mid-Size Car category. With high rating for exterior size, visibility, ride, handling and safety it's easy to see why the S40 is an ideal vehicle. Volvo engineers and designers definitely hit their target. Luxury Mid-Size car owners' scores prove that Volvo understands their buyers very well. Top marks were also given for seat firmness, interior lighting, wheels and tires, and exterior styling."
In the Image Compact Car category AutoPacific cited, "Image Compact Cars are products where style typically trumps absolute function. In the case of the Volvo C30 it seemed to appeal to Image Compact Car owners on both an emotional and rational level. Owners' preferences for the C30's exterior styling, ride, and safety blended well with the interior lighting, seat firmness, and level of technology."
The Volvo C70 shared the top spot in the Aspirational Luxury Car category. AutoPacific summarized that, "Even though the Volvo C70 is only available in one trim level (T5) it seems as though the Swedes have packaged the vehicle just right. With the most modern convenience features, owners in the Aspirational Luxury Car segment found the C70 well-equipped, giving the C70 top honors as a 2008 ideal vehicle. Of course it comes standard with numerous safety features (it's a Volvo), sharp wheels and tires, excellent interior lighting and appreciate seat firmness."
The results of the IVA were based on data collected from thousands of new car and truck buyers who rated 15 specific vehicle attributes: exterior styling, exterior size, passenger roominess, cargo space, driver's seat comfort, drivers seat visibility, interior technology, interior lighting, power and acceleration, ease of getting in and out, interior storage compartments, ride, handling, safety features and tires and wheels.
A complete Ideal Vehicle Awards summary and additional information can be found on AutoPacific's website http://www.autopacific.com
Safe, stunning and smart - the new 2009 Volvo XC60 redefines the small premium crossover.
The new Volvo XC60 is stepping boldly into what is currently the automotive world's fastest-growing segment - dressed in a thrilling blend of muscular XC capability and the sporty charisma of a coupe. "This is not only the safest Volvo ever - it's also the most stunning," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp.
The new XC60 has its world premier unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show in March, with the first cars reaching dealers in Europe in fall 2008.
The "Small Premium Utility" segment is growing quickly. Within the next few years, buyers will have at least ten crossover models to choose from. By 2009, this segment is expected to expand by 75 percent to 443,000 units.
"In order to succeed in that kind of competition, you have to create a vehicle that stands out from the crowd," says Arp. "The new XC60 bases its unique appeal on the synthesis between daringly sporty design and a range of intelligent safety systems that help the driver avoid accidents."
The big safety news is City Safety - a unique system that can help the driver avoid or reduce the effects of the type of low-speed impacts that are common in city traffic. If the car is about to strike the vehicle in front and the driver does not react, the car automatically applies the brakes.
"Volvo is the first in the world to offer this type of feature as standard," says Arp. "City Safety clearly signals that the new XC60 is the safest car Volvo has ever produced. The car is packed with our accumulated safety know-how and technology, both when it comes to preventing accidents and protecting all the occupants in a collision."
Six-cylinder turbo standard
The new XC60 will be available in the U.S. with Volvo's six-cylinder turbocharged T6 engine producing 281 horsepower. All Wheel Drive (AWD) with Instant Traction is fitted as standard on all variants.
"Owing to its compact dimensions - the XC60 is 7.9 inches shorter than the XC70 and lower than the XC90 - it continues our range of slimmed-down car models with high energy efficiency," says Arp.
Volvo's engineers developed the XC60's chassis settings for aggressively sporty handling that promotes a feeling of safety and control. At the same time the suspension has been tuned to provide a smooth and comfortable ride befitting a luxury crossover.
Target buyers tuned in to technology
The XC60 targets a group of customers who impose high demands on design, brand integrity and high-tech content in its choice of lifestyle products. One might say that it's all about consumers who've grown up with the microchip as a natural supplement to their breakfast cereal. They're used to the immensely fast pace of development in the world of electronics - and every succeeding birthday has brought with it increased capacity in ever-shrinking gift packages.
When it comes to the choice of a car, these consumers adopt the same view as they do for other lifecycle products - all of its properties should be integrated into one single attractive and intelligent package.
"One might say that this could be the C30 owner's next car," says Arp. "It's as sporty and exciting, but more capable. This is an all-round car for the person who lives in the city and for the young family taking the kids for a weekend of fun and adventure.
"We're aiming primarily at lifestyle rather than age. With the XC60 we are broadening our model range to attract even more customers with an active urban lifestyle. Like the Volvo C30, the XC60 plays an important role in our planned volume expansion strategy."
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
VOLVO RECHARGE CONCEPT: PLUG-IN HYBRID WITH BATTERY-ONLY RANGE OF 100 KM - AND FLEXIFUEL ENGINE FOR BACKUP POWER
Volvo Cars is introducing the Volvo ReCharge Concept, a plug-in hybrid with individual electric wheel motors and batteries that can be recharged via a regular electrical outlet for maximum environmental benefit.
Recharging allows the car to be driven about 100 kilometres on battery power alone before the car's four-cylinder Flexifuel engine is needed to power the car and recharge the battery.
Volvo ReCharge Concept makes its debut in a specially designed Volvo C30 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
"A certain proportion of electrical vehicles will be necessary to meet the CO2 emission demands of the future. Since the Volvo ReCharge Concept combines an excellent battery range with a backup combustion engine, it is a very interesting concept," says Magnus Jonsson, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Cars.
The ReCharge Concept has been developed at the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center (VMCC), the Volvo Car Corporation's think-tank in Camarillo, California. "This is a ground-breaking innovation for sustainable transportation. A person driving less than 100 kilometres a day will rarely need to visit a filling station. In the USA, this may apply to almost 80 percent of drivers," says Magnus Jonsson.
Thanks to the excellent electrical range from a fuel consumption angle, the Volvo ReCharge Concept is exceptionally kind to the car owner's wallet. When driving on electric power only, operating costs are expected to be about 80 percent lower than that of a comparable petrol-powered car. When driving beyond the 100 km battery range, fuel consumption may vary from 0 to 5.5 litres per 100 km depending on the distance driven using the engine.
"This plug-in hybrid car, when used as intended, should have about 66 percent lower emissions of carbon dioxide compared with the best hybrid cars available on the market today. Emissions may be even lower if most of the electricity in intended markets comes from CO2-friendly sources such as biogas, hydropower and nuclear power," says Magnus Jonsson.
An electric motor at each wheel
The Volvo ReCharge Concept combines a number of the latest technological innovations into a so-called "series hybrid" where there is no mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels.
- The battery pack integrated into the luggage compartment uses lithium-polymer battery technology. The batteries are intended to have a useful life beyond that of the car itself.
- Four electric motors, one at each wheel, provide independent traction power.
- Four-cylinder 1.6-litre Flexifuel engine drives an advanced generator that efficiently powers the wheel motors when the battery is depleted.
Electric car with a combustion engine as backup
In principle, the Volvo ReCharge Concept is a battery electric car with an efficient generator, an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), that steps in when battery charge becomes insufficient for adequate driving performance.
The APU is designed to distribute electrical power to the individual motors at each wheel. Since the combustion engine only powers the APU, it can operate in an optimal fashion, both for regulated emissions and CO2.
The APU is sufficiently powerful to supply an entire villa with electricity. For example it could with minor modifications in principle give the car owner an electricity generator right at his front door in the event of a power failure.
The driver can choose the power source
The combustion engine starts up automatically when 70 percent of the battery power has been used up. However, the driver also has the option of controlling the four-cylinder Flexifuel engine manually via a button in the instrument panel.
This allows the driver to start the engine earlier in order to maximize battery charge, for instance when out on the highway in order to save battery capacity for driving through the next town.
"There is a considerable difference between our plug-in hybrid and today's hybrids. Today's hybrids use the battery only for short periods to assist the combustion engine. Our solution is designed for most people to run on electric power all the time, while providing the extra security that comes with having a combustion engine as a secondary source of electrical power," says Ichiro Sugioka, project manager for the Volvo ReCharge Concept. He adds: "What is more, our C30 with plug-in hybrid technology retains its lively and sporty driving properties. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 9 seconds and top speed is 160 km/h."
Specially developed electric motors
The central electrical components in the Volvo ReCharge Concept demonstrator - the generator for the APU and the wheel motors - were developed together with British electromagnetic specialists PML Flightlink.
With an individual electric motor at each wheel, weight distribution as well as mechanical efficiency and traction are maximized. The friction in mechanical gears is eliminated. Since the car does not have the transmission found in ordinary cars, there is no need for a gear lever.
To help maximize the environmental benefits, the Volvo ReCharge Concept has high-efficiency tyres developed by Michelin. They are specially designed to accommodate the wheelmotors.
Further more, the car has All Wheel Drive in the truest sense of the term. Power to each wheel is controlled individually.
The energy that is generated during braking is transmitted to the battery pack. When the system is ultimately developed, traditional wheel brakes will be completely replaced by electrical brakes with minimal energy wasted through friction.
To ensure reliable operation of the drivetrain and braking system, driver inputs are fed into a quadruple-redundant electronic control system.
Ecologically sound solution for commuters
The Volvo ReCharge Concept is best suited to car drivers who cover moderate distances every day. For example, a commuter who has less than 100 kilometres (62 miles) to drive between home and workplace can cover the entire round trip on electric power alone and the equivalent daily fuel economy will be zero litres per 100 km.
Even drivers who cover more than the battery-only range will benefit from the ReCharge Concept. For a 150 km (93 mile) drive starting with a full charge, the car will require less than 2.8 litres of fuel, giving the car an effective fuel economy of 1.9 l/100km (124 mpg).
"The only requirement is that the car owner has access to electrical outlets at convenient places, such as at home or at the workplace. A full recharge takes 3 hours. However, even a one-hour quick charge should provide enough charge to drive about 50 kilometres," says Magnus Jonsson.
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
VOLVO CARS INTRODUCES NEW SYSTEMS FOR ALERTING TIRED AND DISTRACTED DRIVERS
- Driver Alert Control - unique technology that alerts tired and distracted drivers
- Lane Departure Warning - alerts the driver if the car crosses one of the road markings without an obvious reason
Studies show that up to 90 percent of all traffic accidents are caused by driver distraction.
Now Volvo Cars introduces Driver Alert Control - with a technology solution that is a world-first in passenger cars. The system aims to alert the driver when his or her concentration level is affected, for instance during long journeys.
Another new system, Lane Departure Warning, alerts the driver if the car crosses one of the road markings without an obvious reason.
Lane Departure Warning and Driver Alert Control will be part of the same option package, called Driver Alert System. It will be available in the Volvo S80, V70 (available on the Military Market in January 2008) and XC70 at the end of 2007.
"Real life safety is the key to our safety philosophy. When it comes to preventive safety, we have the same approach as when we develop protective systems. In other words that our research and technical development focus on areas where new technology can create significant results in real-life-traffic," says Ingrid Skogsmo, Director of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre.
Based on the accident statistics above, Volvo Cars is focusing on developing efficient technology to help drivers avoid or reduce the severity of accidents caused by distraction and driver fatigue.
Driver Alert Control (DAC) - a unique innovation
As a result of extensive studies on how drivers operate behind the wheel, Volvo has developed Driver Alert Control - a world-first innovation that registers the car's progress on the road and alerts unconcentrated drivers.
Driver fatigue is a major traffic-safety problem the world over. According to the U.S. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), drivers who fall asleep at the wheel cause about 100,000 accidents annually in the United States alone, resulting in 1,500 fatalities and more than 70,000 injured drivers and passengers.
The situation is similar in Europe. The German Insurance Association GDV estimates that about 25 percent of all fatal accidents on the German Autobahn are caused by driver fatigue.
Volvo's Driver Alert Control is an important innovation. It is primarily intended for situations where the risk of losing concentration is the greatest and where an accident would have severe consequences. For example a straight, smooth road that lulls the driver into a sense of relaxation and where the risk of distracting activities or falling asleep is higher. The system steps in at 65 km/h and stays active as long as the speed exceeds 60 km/h.
Registers what's happening on the road
Driver Alert Control monitors the car's movements and assesses whether the vehicle is being driven in a controlled or uncontrolled way. This method is unique among vehicle manufacturers and is very reliable.
"We do not monitor human behaviour - which varies from one person to another - but instead the effect that fatigue or decreased concentration has on driving behaviour. Our system is based on the car's progress on the road. It gives a reliable indication if something is likely to go wrong and alerts the driver before it is too late," explains Daniel Levin, project manager for Driver Alert Control at Volvo Cars. He adds:
"We often get questions about why we have chosen this concept instead of monitoring the driver's eyes. The answer is that we don't think that the technology of monitoring the driver's eyes is mature enough yet."
Driver Alert Control can also cover situations where the driver is focusing too much on his/her cell phone or children in the car, thereby not having full control of the vehicle.
"This is a positive side-effect of our concept, and this is possible since the system evaluates driving behaviour rather than human behaviour," says Daniel Levin.
Text messages and audible signals
From a technical viewpoint, Driver Alert Control consists of a camera, a number of sensors and a control unit.
The camera, which is installed between the windscreen and the interior rear-view mirror, continuously measures the distance between the car and the road lane markings. The sensors register the car's movements. The control unit stores the information and calculates whether the driver risks losing control of the vehicle.
If the risk is assessed as high, the driver is alerted via an audible signal. In addition, a text message appears in the car's information display, alerting him or her with a coffee cup symbol to take a break.
What is more, the driver can continuously retrieve driving information from the car's trip computer. The starting-point is five bars. The less consistent the driving, the fewer bars remain.
"It is, of course, always the driver's responsibility to take a break when necessary, but sometimes you might not realise that you're not alert enough to drive. In such situations, Driver Alert Control can help the driver make the right decision, like taking a refreshing break or a nap, before the concentration level becomes too low," Daniel Levin concludes.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
On US Highways, single-vehicle road departures account for approximately one fourth of all accidents and one third of all fatalities, statistics that emphasize the risk of losing concentration in smooth driving conditions.
Volvo Cars addresses this by introducing Lane Departure Warning. The system helps prevent single-vehicle road departure accidents as well as head-on collisions due to temporary distraction.
Volvo Cars' researchers estimate that the LDW system can help prevent 30-40 percent of these types of accidents at speeds between 70 and 100 km/h. LDW is activated via a button on the centre stack and it alerts the driver with a gentle warning sound if the car crosses one of the road markings without an obvious reason such as use of the turn indicator.
The system also uses a camera to monitor the car's position between the road markings. LDW steps in at 65 km/h and stays active as long as the speed exceeds 60 km/h.
System limitations
Some of the described systems' availability depends on the number and quality of visible road markings. The lane markings must be clearly visible for the camera Poor light, fog, snow and extreme weather conditions can make the system unavailable.
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
SEXY, SPORTY... SWEDISH?
The C30 could mark the emerdence of a species: Volvo rockinus. By Dan Neil of LA Times.com, August 2007
Carl Linnaeus was born to a Lutheran pastor in the province of Smaland in southern Sweden in 1707, which is why you never hear anyone say, "I wish I were like Carl Linnaeus." Linnaeus was a brilliant man, a physician to Sweden's royal court and the preeminent naturalist of his time. Despite said brilliance, Linnaeus was astonished to discover you couldn't grow coffee and bananas in Sweden. His Lutheran minister father could only roll his eyes.
We know Linnaeus today as the inventor of the system of biological taxonomy, which categorizes living things into the groupings kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. Here's a good mnemonic device to remember: Kobe Plays Canasta On Flabby Governor Schwarzenegger.
What made me think of dear, dead Linnaeus? The new-for-2008 Volvo C30. Like fellow-Swede Linnaeus, Volvo is attempting to cultivate a crop the Gothenburg-based company is not known for: a premium sport hatchback, the like of which has not been attempted since the 1800 ES Wagon in the early '70s. The C30 likewise confounds easy categorization. The company's products fall into a number of genera, including Safe, Family, European (Suburbanus heterosexuali). But it's hard for American consumers to square Volvo with Hip, Sporty, Nocturnal, Male (Metropolitus promiscuous).
And yet, biology isn't necessarily destiny. The C30 is a terrific little car, a hugely entertaining and deftly engineered piece of Scandinavian design entering a market that's just about panting for cooler, and greener, small cars. Arriving many months before the BMW 1-series and wading in against the likes of the Audi A3, the VW GTI and the Mini Cooper, the C30 feels like the emergence of a new species, Volvo rockinus.
Of course, no car is so good that Volvo Corporate can't tie an anchor round its neck and throw it into the Gulf of Bothnia. According to this week's Automotive News Europe, Volvo marketers plan only limited advertising around the C30 launch this fall, in keeping with their modest sales expectations (around 8,000 units annually in the U.S). Allow me to predict a diet of crow: When kidless urbanites start seeing this car on the streets, they will want it.
From the curb-skimming front spoiler to the tips of its bodacious dual exhausts (more rear breathing for a 2.5-liter turbo than is absolutely necessary), the C30 is one of the most successful modern hatchback designs since the Mini Cooper. Sleek and fluent and next-year contemporary, it wears its glass-and-steel exterior like a Size 0 dress.
Mechanically, the C30 is nearly identical to its S40 sedan and V50 wagon siblings -- the wheelbase (103.9 inches) is the same as the S40 -- but overall length (167.4) is 8.7 inches shorter. The short front and rear overhangs give the car a feisty aggressiveness more like an Asian sport import than anything from the land of universal healthcare.
From a formal perspective, the most notable design feature is the car's dramatic tumblehome, which is the inward cant of the canopy toward the roof. This is the sort of fancy concept-car styling that almost never makes it to production -- in this case, because the inward taper cuts down on interior room, which is one reason why the C30 has two bucket seats crammed in the back instead of a three-seat bench. But apparently Volvo's designers, led by then-head of design Peter Horbury, fended off compromise. The result is an upper fuselage that seems to stream back in a darkly glassed teardrop.
As a nod to its Generation D target audience, the C30's two trim levels are called Version 1.0 ($19,995 base price) and Version 2.0 ($22,490). The 2.0 comes with a lowered suspension, 18-inch wheels and a full-skirted aero kit in contrasting color. Fully decked out with all the performance pieces, including Pirelli 245/45 R18 PZero Rossos, the C30 looks like it's graduated from the most ornery outlaw tuner shop in Uppsala.
Both versions are powered by the same turbocharged 2.5-liter, five-cylinder, 227-horsepower engine hooked to the front wheels through either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic with a manual-shift gate ($1,250). I drove both versions last week and I have to say the manual is the better choice. Obviously, you have more opportunity to leverage the turbo's low-end torque (236 pound-feet at a mere 1,500 rpm) in hard driving; but, also, the clutch is so light, and the uptake so agreeable, that the manual is almost effortless in city driving.
With a dry weight of 2,970 pounds (curb weight is around 3,120 pounds), the C30 -- U.S. models all get the T5 designation -- hasn't got a lot of mass to push around. Zero-to-60 mph acceleration with the manual comes in at about 6.7 seconds, which makes it notably quicker than the Audi A3 with the 2.0-liter motor. I was surprised at how much the C30 loves to run and rev. The turbo engagement is smooth and linear, so that, for all your right foot knows, this might as well by a naturally aspirated engine with one more cylinder. Fully set the spinnaker and this car will sail along at 100 mph without a whiff of complaint.
With the Version 2.0's sport-tuned suspension, the C30 feels well planted and predictable, with unusual amounts of sideways grip from its Pirellis. Even with the car bent into a corner and the power rolled on, there isn't much front-wheel-drive kickback coming through the leather-and-alloy steering wheel. Steering is light and accurate, but not particularly reactive, so you really need to commit to a corner to get the car to turn. The car's balance is inclined toward a confidence-inspiring understeer, but you can get the tail to rotate if you jump out of the throttle. The chassis (front struts, rear multi-links with separate coils and shocks) doesn't seem to mind, but eventually the standard stability control will object and begin to chatter the front brakes.
Volvo's current problem, it seems to me, is its portfolio-wide commitment to the spare, plastic-intensive interior with the floating dash. The rational center of my brain -- assuming there is one -- says that everything is just as it should be, with four rotary dials (the most used functions) arranged around the tightly packed bunch of buttons in the console that looks like a TV remote. But nothing about the current interior look or feel arouses much pleasure. The audio readout is on a rather primitive-looking LCD display. The Audi and VW interiors are visually and tactiley more satisfying.
On the other hand, the Volvo's high-tech cloth seats feel great. The taut leather on the steering wheel and gearshift feels like it's been peeled from King Olaf's marshal baton. Here's a curiosity: One of our test models had floor mats with highly reflective piping, so that in an accident you can take them out and signal for help. I'm just guessing here.
Safety? Got it covered. In addition to standard traction and stability control, the C30 is replete with air bags (dual front, side and side curtain), body reinforcement (the Side Impact Protection System, or SIPS), smart seat belts, Isofix connections for child safety seats. Gadgeteers can opt for the new Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and the rear parking assist system.
A sugary demitasse of Volvo's usual strong black coffee, the C30 is a charismatic automobile, to be sure. Fun to drive, fun to look at.
I wish the interior had more high-tech veneer. I also wish the thing didn't drink 91 octane, which puts a definitive premium on one's desire for this sporty Euro hatch. I wish the fully kitted version were a better value proposition. Even so, the C30 will open minds and wallets. Here's to the origin of a new species.
Be the first to drive the all-new Volvo C30 during the open-house event at your Volvo Military Sales Agent on September 22, 2007.
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
NEW COLLISION WARNING WITH AUTO BRAKE HELPS PREVENT REAR-END COLLISIONS
- Collision Warning with Auto Brake - including automatic braking when a rear-end collision is imminent
- Adaptive Cruise Control and Distance Alert - to help the driver keep a proper distance to the vehicle in front
Volvo Cars continues to address the problem of rear-end collisions by introducing Collision Warning with Auto Brake - a refined warning system that makes the car brake by itself if the driver doesn't act when a rear-end collision with a moving or stationary vehicle is imminent.
"This can mean the difference between a serious injury and minor consequences for the occupants of both vehicles," says Ingrid Skogsmo, Director of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre.
The new system will be available in the Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 at the end of 2007.
Rear impacts represent a third of all reported accidents - and in more than 50 percent of these accidents, the driver doesn't brake at all.
The new Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB) initially warns the driver and pre-charges the brakes. The brakes are automatically activated if the driver doesn't act when a rear-end collision with a moving or stationary vehicle is imminent.
Collision Warning with Auto Brake has an elevated technology level compared to the Collision Warning with Brake Support that was introduced in 2006.
Combining radar and camera
While the original system, introduced in the Volvo S80, is radar-based, Collision Warning with Auto Brake uses both radar and a camera to detect vehicles in front of the car. The long-range radar reaches 150 metres in front of the car while the camera range is 55 metres.
By using Data Fusion to combine information from the radar and the camera, the system becomes more efficient.
"Since the system combines information both from the radar sensor and the camera, it gives such a high confidence level that automatic braking is possible if a collision is imminent. The system is programmed to activate autonomous braking only if both sensors agree that the situation is critical," says Jonas Tisell, technical project manager for Collision Warning with Auto Brake at Volvo Cars.
One of the main advantages of the camera is the possibility of detecting stationary vehicles and warning the driver while maintaining a low false-alarm level.
"Statistics show that 50 percent of all rear-end collisions involve a stationary object, which means that Collision Warning with Auto Brake covers twice as many situations as with the present system," says Jonas Tisell.
To adapt the warning system to different conditions and individual driving styles, its sensitivity can be regulated in the car settings menu. There are three alternative sensitivity positions.
Begins with a warning - and pre-charging of the brakes
If the car approaches another vehicle from behind and the driver does not react, a red warning light flashes in the head-up display on the windscreen. At the same time, an audible signal can be heard. This helps the driver react and an accident can be avoided in most cases.
"The head-up display gives a clear and very efficient warning. The red light appearing on the windscreen in front of the driver produces the same gut-reaction effect as when you see a brake light in front of you", says Jonas Tisell.
If the risk of a collision increases despite the warning, the brake support is activated. To shorten the reaction time the brakes are prepared by the brake pads being placed against the discs. The brake pressure is also reinforced hydraulically, ensuring effective braking even if the driver does not press the brake pedal particularly hard.
Auto Brake lowers impact speed
If the driver doesn't brake and the sensor system determines that a collision is imminent, the brakes are activated.
Auto Brake is designed to lower the impact speed as much as possible and thereby reduce the risk of injury to the occupants of both vehicles.
"A reduction in collision speed from 60 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, gives approximately 30 percent less impact energy. This can mean the difference between a serious injury and minor consequences for the occupants. Depending on the circumstances, it is also possible that the Auto Brake can help avoid the impact entirely," says Jonas Tisell.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
To make driving more comfortable, Volvo Cars has developed Adaptive Cruise Control, ACC. It helps the driver by maintaining the distance to the car in front and the system contributes to relaxed driving control when the traffic flow is uneven.
Adaptive Cruise Control uses a radar sensor to continuously measure the distance to the vehicles in front and the system automatically adapts the speed of the car to ensure that the distance is maintained.
The driver activates the cruise control, sets the desired maximum speed between 30 and 200 km/h and chooses a time interval to the car in front. There is a choice of five different time intervals between 1 and 2.6 seconds.
When the radar sensor detects a slower vehicle in front of the car, the speed is automatically adapted to that vehicle even when it changes speed.
"Since Adaptive Cruise Control handles part of the routine driving operations the driver can focus further ahead and drive with greater safety margins," says Jonas Tisell.
Distance Alert (DA)
Distance Alert is another new comfort feature that helps the driver keep a proper distance to the vehicle in front even when the Adaptive Cruise Control is disengaged.
Distance Alert is activated via a button in the centre console. As with ACC, the driver can choose between five settings. If the time gap to the car in front becomes shorter than the selected value, the driver gets visual information in the head-up display on the lower part of the windscreen.
If Distance Alert is engaged and ACC is activated, the DA system becomes temporarily disengaged.
Both ACC and Distance Alert are tailored to help the driver comfortably follow certain national regulations defining the required distance to the vehicle in front.
System limitations
Some of the described systems' availability depends on the number and quality of visible road markings. The lane markings must be clearly visible for the camera Poor light, fog, snow and extreme weather conditions can make the system unavailable.
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY ACKNOWLEDGES VOLVO S80 AS "TOP SAFETY PICK"
Volvo's signature Scandinavian Luxury sedan has earned IIHS's top honors for vehicle safety in front, side, and rear impact crash protection. Paired with Acura RL and Kia Amanti, Volvo's S80 was one of the best performers. IIHS's announced that "The S80 also earns the Institute's 2007 TOP SAFETY PICK award for superior overall crash protections."
"Volvo safety has been over 80 years in the making. Our cars are born from a culture that believes in protecting those in and around everything we make," states Anne Belec, President and CEO, Volvo Cars of North America. "Safety is a matter of cultural pride. Safety is not added on; it comes with the first kernel of thought when designing a new Volvo."
Volvo's holistic, 'Circle of Development' approach to safety starts from real world accident research, moving through to engineering, testing, manufacturing and coming back to real world accident research. Volvo safety is about Protective and Preventive safety - to help people during one of their worst life experiences: an automobile accident.
Protective Exterior Safety
Protective safety in the new Volvo S80 is structured in the form of a network of exterior and interior safety systems that interact to reduce the risk of occupant injury in the event of a collision. The exterior systems have the task of distributing and absorbing incoming collision forces so that the passenger space is preserved as intact as possible. The body is therefore built in the form of a box-section structure using varying grades of steel, with all the components interacting to provide controlled deformation that reduces impacting energy to the human body.
Transverse Mounted Engines
Like the rest of Volvo's offerings, the S80 features a transversely installed engine and front-wheel drive. Transverse engine installation provides a controlled deformation zone in the engine compartment and helps reduce the risk of engine intrusion into the passenger compartment in a frontal collision. Even the new V8 is transversely installed thanks to its extremely compact dimensions and effective packaging.
Interior Safety
Interior safety systems assist in keeping the passengers securely in place to help maximize seat belt/airbag effectiveness and minimize the risk of serious injuries. In order to provide the most effective protection possible Volvo Cars has developed a number of unique systems.
- A new type of side-impact airbag makes Volvo's patented SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) even more effective. The new side impact airbags feature two separate inflation chambers - one at hip height and one at chest height. Since the hips can withstand greater impact than the chest, the lower chamber is inflated at five time's higher pressure than the upper section. The side impact airbags interact with the inflatable curtains (IC) and the body's network of beams to reduce acceleration loads on the human body.
- Volvo's WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) - is one of the most effective on the market. In the event of a severe impact from the rear, the front seat backrest and head restraint move together with the occupant's body, thus damping its movement in much the same way the arms move rearward when catching a ball. In the latest generation of WHIPS, the system's function has been further developed to provide an even smoother "catching" motion.
- A three-piece steering column designed to pivot up and collapse away from the driver through the use of a pyrotechnically charged separation bolt. This helps to better position the air bag deployment process for pending contact with the driver.
All five seats are equipped with three-point inertia-reel safety belts, belt pre-tensioners and head restraints. The highest possible safety requires that all occupants always use their safety belts (which Volvo made standard equipment in 1959 - a world's first).
Preventive safety - the avoidance of accidents - was one of the most important starting points when the new S80 was being developed. Preventative safety has lead to an entirely new generation of advanced driving and support systems and, of course, included Volvo's legendary Protective safety.
Accident avoidance is the next step in Preventive protection. Combining multiplexed electronics with advanced software and hardware designs have created a new level of driver assisted technologies. Preventive safety systems transform surrounding environmental activities into usable data to help the S80 driver avoid dangerous situations.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) uses a radar sensor to help the driver maintain the distance to the vehicle in front. ACC should primarily be seen as a comfort-enhancing function, but it contributes at the same time to more controlled driving when the traffic rhythm is uneven.
Collision Warning with Brake Support (CW) helps reduce the risk of frontal impact. If the Volvo approaches another vehicle from behind and the driver does not react, the system alerts the driver with audible and visual signals. If the risk of a collision nonetheless continues to increase despite the warning, the brake support system is activated. The brake pads are applied against the discs and brake pressure is hydraulically amplified.
Blind Spot Identification System (BLIS) registers if another vehicle is in the offset rear blind spot along either side of the car and the driver is alerted via a visual signal.
Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS) helps stop the driver being distracted by non-essential information in pressing situations, for instance by delaying incoming phone calls or SMS.
Active Bi-Xenon Light - moving headlight beams that follow the curvature of the road - help maintain the best possible visibility in the dark on twisting roads.
Personal Car Communicator (PCC) is an advanced control center in pocket format. At the touch of a button, the car owner can instantly find out whether ...
... the car is locked or unlocked ...
... the alarm has been activated ...
... the alarm has been set off and someone is inside the car.
The information is stored so that it is possible to check if the car really was locked when it was parked, at any time and from anywhere.
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
The all - new VOLVO S80 WINNER OF THE "INTERIOR OF THE YEAR" COMPETITION IN PREMIUM-PRICED CAR CATEGORY
Volvo S80 has the best interior among premium-priced cars, according to a vote at the Ward's Auto Interior Show in Detroit in June
According to a study from JD Power, interior comfort is the second most important factor in choosing a vehicle, ranking ahead of exterior styling and just behind reliability and durability.
In all, 34 vehicles from 11 manufacturers were in contention to win an "Interior of the Year" award in the annual competition sponsored by Ward's Auto World magazine. The prestigious awards program is part of the annual Ward's Auto Interiors Show, which was held June 6-7 2007 at Detroit's Cobo Center. It is the industry's leading trade show and conference for vehicle interiors and spotlights the latest innovations in vehicle technology.
Winners were determined in two ways: the editorial staff of Ward's conducted a two-month review and analysis of the 34 nominated vehicles and selected the winners based on eight evaluation categories such as comfort, safety and design harmony. In addition, members of the auto industry at-large were encouraged to participate in a popular vote online to see how they would evaluate the nominees compared to the Ward's judges. More than 1,400 popular votes were cast.
The Volvo S80 was voted as having the best interior in the Premium-Priced Car category.
Scandinavian Luxury - All-new interior design
The all-new Volvo S80 expresses elegance, liveliness and smoothness of movement - the true looks of a premium sedan. It sets a new standard in interior comfort: the cabin with its generous legroom is fitted with a super-slim center console, premium leather seating surfaces and real wood inlays. A power driver's seat with memory, power font passenger seat and power sunroof is among the list of standard amenities. Also included is a high performance sound system with 6-disc CD changer, auxiliary input, MP3 capability, a 160-watt amplifier and eight speakers. All models can be enhanced with the optional Dynaudio Package that adds a 650-watt amplifier, Dolby Pro-Logic II Surround Sound and 12 DynaudioØ speakers - one of the best audio systems in the world.
Furthermore, the Volvo S80's Interior Air Quality System IAQS monitors incoming air to keep the cabin fresh. The filter prevents dust, particles and pollen from entering the car through its ventilation system, which makes life easier for people who are particularly sensitive, such as those suffering from allergies and asthma. Plus, Volvo S80's interior fabrics comply with the ecological Oeko-Tex standard 100.
We call it real luxury - a car that knows the value you put on life. Experience the all - new Volvo S80.
New Lines, new features, new pre-emptive safety technology for the road ahead. This is our most Youthful S80 ever!
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Acknowledges Volvo C70's Safety Systems
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted its first crash tests of several convertibles and has awarded the Volvo C70 as one of their 'Top Safety Picks'. "For more than 80 years, Volvo has built cars with Safety in mind," states Anne Bˇlec, President and CEO, Volvo Cars of North America. "We are extremely pleased to have done well in the Institutes' testing program. From the very start of our modern convertible program, our goal was to bring advanced technology and engineering skills into this flagship vehicle." The hot-selling Volvo C70 arrived in the U.S. market in 2006 and has set the benchmark for convertible safety in regards to occupant protection with a number of safety systems, including the unique Inflatable Curtain for side impact protection, the use of multiple grades of steel for frontal and rear collisions, and Volvo's Roll Over Protection System (ROPS).
Safety Inside
The C70 comes standard with Volvo's newest addition to side impact protection, the Inflatable Curtain (IC) "As there are no roof members to which the curtain can be attached it is mounted in the door," noted Skogsmo. "When activated it is directed upwards." The curtain has an extra stiff construction with double rows of slats that are slightly offset from each other. This allows them to remain upright and offer effective head protection even with the window open. The curtain also deflates slowly to provide protection should the car roll over. This is a unique solution in the automotive world.
In addition to the inflatable curtain, the passengers in the front seat have side impact airbags, the size of which is adapted to cover both the chest and hip areas. The inflatable curtain interacts with the seat belt pretensioners to help provide maximum protection for the front seat occupants in a side impact or a rollover accident. All four seats are equipped with pretensioners.
The Volvo system for avoiding neck injuries - WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) - is one of the most effective on the market and is also standard in the all-new Volvo C70. In the event of a powerful rear-end collision the backrests and head restraints in the front seats follow the movements of the seat occupant's body.
The three-piece steering column is designed to pivot up and collapse away from the driver through the use of a pyrotechnically charged separation bolt. This helps to better position the air bag deployment process for pending contact with driver.
All four seating positions feature pyrotechnically pretensioned seat belts with a spool-out function. Not only will this new system help restrain the user, it allows for slower forward acceleration of the human body.
Safety Outside
First seen on the Volvo S40 sport sedan, the C70 continues the use of utilizing different grades of steel to helps control impact energy in the event of a collision. The C70 has a unique front energy absorbing structure that uses three additional grades of steel aside from the regular bodywork steel: High Strength Steel, Extra High Strength Steel and Ultra High Strength Steel. When combined in different structural elements, the C70 maintains excellent low- and high-speed deformation as witnessed by the Institutes' frontal crash testing.
The all-new Volvo C70 is designed to provide effective protection in the event of a rear-end collision as well. The rear longitudinal members deform in a controlled way. They are linked to the body sills to distribute the collision forces forward into the body structure. A large horseshoe-shaped member behind the rear seats and a double metal wall behind the backrests contribute to reducing the risk of intrusion into the passenger compartment. If the top is stowed in the down position, it works together with the double wall to absorb the collision forces.
The Rollover Protection System (ROPS) popup bars are also pushed upwards in the event of a rear-end collision. The aim is to reduce the risk of the passengers being hit by flying objects from the car behind.
Volvo's Convertible Safety Heritage
Volvo's first C70 Convertible arrived in 1998 with an impressive array of safety systems. It was the first use of Ultra-High Strength Steel (UHSS) to strengthen selected structural elements. UHSS would later migrate into the XC90 SUV and into subsequent vehicles. "We found this material to be extremely hard, fatigue resistant and added protection without adding significantly to vehicle weight," states Ingrid Skogsmo, Director of Safety, Volvo Car Corporation. UHSS was used to strengthen the 'A' pillar, and when combined with a High Strength Steel tube insert, the 'A' pillar could support the vehicle weight during most types of roll-over accidents.
This first C70 also featured a unique three-piece steering column, pyrotechnic pretensioned front seat belts, Side Impact Protection system which featured used of UHSS in the 'B' pillar area, Side Impact Air Bags, and Rollover Protection pop-up roll bars.
About Volvo Cars of North America
Volvo has been building cars with Safety in mind for 80 years. The current 2007 model line-up of Volvo Cars includes the award-winning S40 and its wagon counterpart the V50; the award-winning XC90; the sporty S60 sedan; the all-new S80 luxury sedan; the versatile V70 wagon and rugged XC70 (Cross Country); and the C70 convertible with the innovative retractable hardtop.
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
ALL-NEW VOLVO XC70: REFINING THE PACKAGE OF SUCCESS
Volvo is re-defining the "crossover" segment with next generation luxury, technology and capability
When the first XC model from Swedish auto marque Volvo took to the American roads in 1997, sales success and an entirely new Cross Country segment soon followed.
Ten year later, the third-generation XC70 makes its North American debut by rolling into the spotlight at the New York International Auto Show. The original recipe is still intact, but now Volvo's crossover vehicle has added luxury as well as even greater capabilities for adventure.
The original XC exceeded Volvo's sales expectations largely based on the vehicle's appeal to consumers in the United States. For them, the XC70 served the functionality of an SUV, while providing the distinctive Volvo feel of a true premium car. The term "crossover" emerged.
The XC70 badge has retained its power of attraction since introduction with the current generation reaching peak sales over 24,000 in the United States. "We had a winning concept from the very outset and we have continuously refined it," says Fredrik Arp, president and CEO of Volvo Car Corp. "The all-new XC70 maintains its tough, capable attitude while at the same time growing more comfortable. Additionally, our design team has given the vehicle a more elegant, more luxurious look."
Perfect For an Active Lifestyle
Whether it's picking up the kids from school, navigating city traffic for a night on the town, or negotiating the wilderness half way up a mountain, the all-new XC70 is equal to the task.
With an elevated feel and driving dynamics that are exhilarating yet comfortable, the roomy yet luxurious interior of the all-new XC70 is peerless in functional versatility. Beyond perception and image, the owners of this lifestyle vehicle make their choice of the all-new XC70 because they intend to fully exploit its capabilities.
"The XC70 has primarily been created to get you to the end of the road. But it has also shown its ability to take you further if you want, or dare, to. A couple of years ago, we organized a test-drive in the Baja of Mexico on some of the worse 'roads' imaginable - as close to off-road as you could get. Even the most hardened adventurers were impressed by what the XC70 could handle," Arp recalls.
Flexing its muscles still further, the all-new XC70 is available with a 3.2 in-line six-cylinder engine. New in this XC70 is an industry world's first height-adjustable booster cushion further enhancing child safety, and a Hill Descent Control feature, ventilated seats and a world-class sound system which contribute to a comfortable and pleasurable driving experience. These features clearly illustrate the dual personality, and all-around versatility, of the all-new XC70.
An American Love Affair
In the United States, the XC70 has garnered press association awards including Best All-Weather Wagon in New England, Best in Class wins at the Texas Truck Rodeo, Mudfest honors in the Pacific Northwest, and Best Overall Vehicle of the Rockies.
Sales for the Military market start in July 2007.
For more information, please see: www.volvocars.com/militarysales
