Every Volvo car excels in their respective categories in terms of safety. According to the 2021 IIHS Safety ratings, every Volvo vehicle was rewarded the Top Safety Pick+. Volvo produces a total of 9 cars, with different models in 3 categories.
Each Volvo was ranked as the best in their respective category, and Volvo scores an average USN Safety Score of 9.90 out of 10.
Volvo’s reputation for safety
Volvo has been known for its safety features for decades. The company is literally termed as the safest carmakers in the world. In 1923, Volvo started producing cars and aimed to provide its customers with the best safety features present at that time.
The Volvo Cars Safety Center was inaugurated in 2000. Since then, they have performed at least one car crash test a day. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), no one in the United States died in nine different Volvo models from 2009 to 2012.
Volvo Cars Safety Center
The Volvo car safety facility in Gothenburg, Sweden is one of the most advanced facilities in the world. It is one of its kind in the world. When Volvo was under Ford Motor Company, it achieved a Center of Excellence for safety. Even Ford Motors used to test their cars in Volvo’s facilities. Other companies have also used Volvo’s facilities like Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin.
The facility has a capacity of holding 400 tests a year. They use one fixed and one movable test track to ensure the safety of their cars. The fixed test track is used for crash tests against a wall. The movable test track performs tests including collisions between two moving cars, frontal impacts, side impacts, and rear-end collisions.
The facility has a great software team also. They have developed their own software to test the cars on the computer before practical tests are conducted. They test a thousand times on a computer, before testing on real cars, which is much timelier and more cost-efficient.
The crash tests include male, female and child dummies that have to endure every kind of crash scenario. There are about 100 dummies in this facility that are used for crashing purposes.
Volvo safety features
Volvo is the best of the best in terms of vehicle safety features. They literally invented some safety features that are still in use today. Some of the features that were first created by Volvo are:
- Blind spot information system
- Pedestrian detection with braking
- Three-point seatbelts
- Rearward-facing child seat
- Inflatable curtain
Volvo also has all the standard safety features with other premium quality safety features. These are some standard safety features in Volvo
- Lane Keeping Aid
- Blind Spot Information System
- Active High Beam Control
- Driver Alert Control
- City Safety
- Airbags with inflatable curtains
- Pedestrian Airbag
- Collapsible Steering Column
- Collision Mitigation Support
Volvo car model safety ratings
Every single Volvo car model made into the IIHS rankings in 2021. This is normal Volvo, as they are constantly highly rated by the IIHS and the NHTSA in their rankings. They excel in every single category in terms of safety features.
Volvo S60
The V60 falls in the compact executive car category. This is one of the safest cars in its category. The IIIHS rated the S60 as a Top Safety Pick+ car. It was also the safest car according to the NHTSA. The S60’s many models obtained 5 stars in every category.
Volvo V60
The Volvo V60 is a compact luxury wagon, closely related to the S60. The IIHS ranked two models of the V60 in the Top Safety Pick+ category in 2021. The 2020 and 2021 models of V60 also received all 5 stars in NHTSA ratings. This makes it one of the best vehicles in its category.
Volvo S90
The Volvo S90 is an executive sedan that was launched in 2016. It falls in the large sedans category and two of its models were ranked as a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS.
Volvo V90
The Volvo V90 is a mid-size luxury wagon that was unveiled in 2016. It is based on the S90 model. The IIHS also ranked its two models as Top Safety Pick+ vehicles.
Volvo XC40
The Volvo XC40 is a compact luxury crossover SUV launched in 2017. It received many awards like the European Car of the year in 2018. Ranked as a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, it is one of the safest cars in its category.
Volvo XC60
The Volvo XC60 is a mid-size luxury SUV that Volvo has been making since 2008. Termed as one of the safest cars by the NHTSA, the IIIHS also ranked its two models in the Top Safety Pick+ category.
Volvo XC90
The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury SUV with exceptionally good safety features. It is ranked as a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS and received almost all 5 stars by the NHTSA, making it one of the safest cars in its category.
FAQ
What is automotive safety?
Automotive safety includes researching the design, construction, equipment, and regulation to prevent crashes and minimize injuries. Cars need to have some safety features to keep the driver and passengers safe. Car safety includes many features that are tested in high crash facilities to make the best in terms of crash scenarios.
Safety features are divided into two categories: active and passive safety. Active features are those that assist in the prevention of accidents and include things like:
- Headlights
- Reflectors
- Mirrors
- Brakes
- Steering
- Suspension systems
- Parking sensors
Passive features assist after the crash. The most common ones are:
- Seatbelts
- Airbags
- Laminated glass
- Electronic pedestrian protection system
What are safety testing organizations?
There are many non-profit organizations working to provide car ratings in terms of safety. The organizations test these cars rigorously for all types of situations. Some of these organizations are
1. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
3. New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)
4. Australasian New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)
5. Euro NCAP
How do cars earn ratings in safety?
Different organizations have different methods. According to the NHTSA, they test collisions on front, back, and side with rollover tests. The cars are processed through extreme physical crash tests. Frontal crashes also include a frontal offset test, full width frontal test and side impact test.
The cars’ safety features are tested to rate their performance in the event of an accident. Crash safety centers have all kinds of dummies which undergo these crash tests.
Who are the safest carmakers in 2021?
There are several safe car manufacturers in the world. Many consider safety to be the number one factor when choosing a car, over things like power and speed. Some of the safest carmakers include:
- Genesis
- Volvo
- Tesla
- Mazda
- Mercedes
- Subaru
- Lincoln
- Acura
- Hyundai
- Audi