The XC90 has been at the forefront of SUV safety ever since the first-generation model was launched in 2002. It was the first SUV in the world to be fitted with Roll Stability Control, which measures the car's roll angle in extreme manoeuvres and activates the stability control system to reduce the risk of a rollover accident.
1. Run-off Road Protection
The second-generation XC90, launched in 2015, came with two world-first safety aids: Run-off Road Protection and automatic emergency braking at junctions.
Should the car inadvertently leave the road, Run-off Road Protection automatically tightens the front seatbelts to keep occupants in the safest possible position. The belts are firmly tightened as long as the car is in motion.
To help prevent spinal injuries, a collapsible energy-absorbing section between the front seats and seat frame cushions the vertical forces that can occur if the car lands on a hard surface. The solution is capable of reducing the vertical occupant forces by up to one third.
The XC90 also features technologies that help the driver avoid run-off road scenarios: The Lane Keeping Aid applies extra steering torque if the car is about to leave the lane unintentionally, while Driver Alert Control, which is also standard, detects and warns tired or inattentive drivers. It even has Rest Stop Guidance, which directs the driver to the nearest rest area.
Related: Which Volvo XC90 trim depreciates the fastest?
2. Automatic Emergency Braking
The XC90 was also the first car in the world to feature automatic emergency braking that activates if the driver turns into the path of an oncoming vehicle at a junction. This is a common scenario at busy city crossings as well as on highways, where the speed limits are higher. The all-new Volvo XC90 detects a potential crash and brakes automatically in order to avoid a collision or mitigate the consequences of a crash.
However, the XC60 mid-size premium SUV was the first car to come with automatic emergency braking as standard when it was launched in 2008, while every new Volvo model has been fitted with this life-saving technology since 2014.
Related: Shop now for your very own Volvo XC90
3. Extended Road Sign Information
The XC90 is the first car on the market with Road Sign Information technology as standard. It has been further enhanced to show an extended selection of road signs in the digital display in front of the driver, such as various types of supplementary signs.
4. City Safety with Autobrake
City Safety will become the umbrella name for all of Volvo Cars’ auto brake functions – which are standard equipment in the all-new XC90.
City Safety now detects vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians in front of the car, day and night. A smarter and faster high-sensitive camera combined with advanced exposure control covers the whole span from dusk to dawn.
The purpose of the new collision avoidance system is to assist the driver in case there is a high risk of collision with another vehicle, pedestrian or cyclist through an intuitive warning strategy and a brake support system. If a collision is almost unavoidable, the system will provide autonomous braking when the driver fails to respond to the imminent threat.
Related: Shop now for your very own Volvo XC90
5. Pre-Crash Protection in Rear Impacts
Rearward facing radars detect if a rear impact is imminent and safety belts are tightened in advance in order to keep the occupant in a good position. Lights also start flashing to warn the driver behind, and the brakes are activated to help reduce the impact on the occupants.
Together with Volvo Cars’ new seat design, which integrates the next generation of the ground-breaking Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), this new holistic rear impact pre-crash function helps reduce whiplash injuries.
List of All XC90 Safety Features
The 2020 XC90 comes with an arsenal of safety features which include:
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Distance Alert
- Lane Keeping Aid
- Run-Off Road Mitigation/Protection
- Driver Alert Control
- Road Sign Information
- Electronic Stability Control
- Emergency Brake Light
- Brakes with Hill Start Assist and Automatic Hold
- Automatic braking after a collision
- Roll-Over Protection System
- Roll Stability Control
- Reinforced passenger compartment
- SIPS™ side impact protection system
- Collapsible steering column
- Side and dual-stage airbags (for the driver and front passenger),
- Inflatable curtain
- WHIPS™ — Whiplash Injury Protection System
- City Safety with Autobrake (which recognises pedestrians, cyclists and large animals)
