The Volvo V40, which is set for launch in October locally, has received the top 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP collision test. The result is the best ever recorded by the institute and a great result for a company that recently set the target to have nobody die or be injured in a Volvo by 2020.
“It is a fantastic result. We are very proud to have one of the world’s safest cars and we’re taking yet another important step toward our 2020 target.” said Thomas Broberg, Senior Technical Advisor of Safety at Volvo.
Euro NCAP has started running separate tests in four different sub-categories, which are ranked to produce an overall grade. The four categories are adult occupant protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist. The Volvo V40’s result in these four categories bests all previous cars tested. The V40′s protection for adults was also the best result ever recorded at 98%.
In the safety assist category, the Volvo V40 also scored maximum points. The Volvo V40 utilises systems like: Auto Brake; Pedestrian Detection; Lane Keeping Aid and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), which helps the driver detect vehicles in the offset rear blind spot.
Being the only car in the world with a pedestrian airbag, it no doubt walked away with the pedestrian protection category record too. The system uses sensors in the front of the car to detect any contact with a pedestrian. The bonnet de-hinges and elevates to help cushion the blow with an airbag. The Euro NCAP description of the system says, “The system offered good protection in all areas likely to be struck by a pedestrian’s head, making the V40 the first car to score maximum points in this area.”
