Safety organisation Euro NCAP has named the Volvo V40 as the worlds’ safest car.
The V40 scored 100% for safety assist and 98% for occupant protection for adults – the best result ever recorded. Thomas Broberg, Senior Technical Advisor Safety at Volvo, beamed:
“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 – that nobody should die or be seriously injured in a new Volvo. We work continuously on improving the already high safety level of our cars through ongoing research into the reasons behind road accidents and by gaining in-depth understanding of the results of actual collisions.”
In the safety assist category, the Volvo V40 scored maximum points thanks to ‘City Safety’ a system which performs an automatic emergency stop if it detects an obstacle. The system is still fully functional up to 31 mph – higher than any similar system.
The Volvo V40 also set a new record in the pedestrian safety category thanks to its unique pedestrian airbag. A sensor at the car’s front detects contact with a pedestrian. Upon contact, a charge is released, the bonnet hinges and elevates with the help of an airbag.
A system upon which Euro NCAP commented:
“the system worked well, the bonnet offering 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.”
