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Advantage Online: 2009 Archives
CITY SAFETY AND THE 2010 VOLVO XC60 Volvo introduced the XC60 as the safest Volvo ever (see Figure 1). That was quite the statement considering that Volvo has always been known for the safety of their vehicles. The primary reason for putting the XC60 on the safety pedestal is the introduction of City Safety, which made the Volvo XC60 the first vehicle that can stop itself. There are also other optional safety features. City Safety City Safety can assist the driver in avoiding or reducing the effects of low-speed impacts that are common in city traffic. The system is only active at speeds up to 31 km/h (19 mph). With this system, if the vehicle is about to collide with the vehicle in front and the driver does not respond by properly braking, the system calculates speed and distance and automatically applies the brakes to avoid a collision. Laser sensors look forward 4 m (13 ft) in front of the bumper. The XC60 is the first vehicle to have City Safety. This feature will be standard on all Volvo vehicles going forward. The system does not override the driver. City Safety will not engage when the driver actively steers the vehicle or applies the brakes, even if a collision cannot be avoided. Volvo states that this is done to give the driver’s action highest priority. The driver has the option to manually deactivate the system after the vehicle is started. This allows the driver to park, which may involve coming close to another vehicle at very low speeds, without City Safety braking the vehicle. City Safety will automatically activate the next time the vehicle is started. The Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) set up some barriers for testing the XC60 City Safety feature at the Spring Collection event earlier this year at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. I-CAR participated in the demonstration of the technology. A video of the test drive can be seen in the “Damage Analysis of Advanced Automotive Systems (DAM07)” Live training program. Even though the barriers were flexible and designed to bend if hit, our driver admitted that his instinct each time the car was about to hit the barriers was to take his foot off the accelerator and apply the brakes. He avoided doing that, and the car stopped itself with each run, just as advertised. He described it as “not a panic hard stop, but definitely a firm application of the brakes.” The laser sensor module that looks ahead is mounted next to the rearview mirror and is visible at the top of the windshield when looking from the outside (see Figure 2). The windshield must be replaced with the same type of windshield to avoid signal degradation. Other Safety Onboard Besides the standard City Safety, Trailer Stability Assist is standard on the XC60, if the vehicle is used with the accessory trailer hitch. An option is Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), indicated by a camera on the bottom of the door mirrors (see Figure 3). If the XC60 is equipped with the collision avoidance package, safety systems onboard include adaptive cruise control, collision warning with brake support, distance alert, driver alert control, and lane departure warning. A rectangular radar sensor behind the front grille serves as eyes for these systems, looking at the traffic ahead. Adaptive cruise control automatically keeps the vehicle a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. Collision warning with brake support alerts the driver if the vehicle is getting too close to the vehicle ahead and pre-charges the brakes so only a slight pressure will slow the vehicle down. Distance alert emits a warning signal when the distance from the vehicle ahead no longer is safe for the vehicle speed. Driver alert control, which alerts the driver when the vehicle starts drifting out of its lane, uses a camera located near the rearview mirror to look down toward the road. An audible alert and a coffee cup icon on the instrument panel indicate it may be time for a break. Lane departure warning uses the same camera for highway speeds. Advanced High-Strength Steel Volvo is known for using advanced high-strength steels, including boron-alloyed steel, in the structural makeup. On the XC60, there is boron-alloyed steel used for the A- and B-pillar reinforcements, rocker panel reinforcements, and front door guard beams. Steel up to 800 MPa, what Volvo calls “extra high-strength steel”, is used for the rear door guard beams. What Volvo calls “very high-strength steel”, or steel up to 380 MPa, is used for the roof bow between the C-pillars, engine cradle, lower A-pillar reinforcements, and front door frames. Conclusion The 2010 Volvo XC60, dubbed by Volvo as the safest Volvo ever, features the debut of the Volvo City Safety system. City Safety automatically stops the vehicle at low speeds if a collision is imminent and the driver does not respond in time. The XC60 may also be equipped with other collision avoidance features. There’s more information on damage analysis of City Safety and other advanced electronic systems in the I-CAR “Damage Analysis of Advanced Automotive Systems (DAM07)” Live training program. Watch for it in your area. For comments or suggestions on the Advantage Online, please contact I-CAR at |
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