2009 Volvo XC60 Preview

The safest car we have ever built - that's the claim Volvo is making about the new XC60. From a firm that has built its entire reputation on making strong cars, it's a bold statement.

Designed as a baby brother to the XC90, an SUV which has been a massive success for the Swedish firm, the XC60 will get its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in a fortnight. It will go on sale in Europe in the autumn, and in North America early next year.

The XC60 features a variety of intelligent safety systems. The biggest of these is what Volvo is calling 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 and urban tailbacks. In short, if the XC60 is about to drive into the vehicle in front and the driver does not react, the car brakes itself.

Volvo believes it's the first manufacturer in the world to offer this type of feature as standard. Its likely to spread to other models in the range - most notably the larger XC90 SUV and the S80 sedan - at the earliest opportunity.

There will be a choice of three engines from launch in European markets; the turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six from the V70 wagon which produces 285 hp, and two variants of the 2.4-liter D5 turbodiesel, producing 185 and 163 hp respectively. All-wheel drive is fitted as standard, but during 2009 a front-wheel drive version of the 2.4 will be launched.

© Source: thecarconnection
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