The flagship SUV from Volvo, the XC90 and XC90 Recharge PHEV, has earned the highest rating, the Top Safety Pick Plus, from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

The IIHS is a nonprofit research and education organization established in 1959, aiming to reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage resulting from automobile crashes. They conduct rigorous testing on new vehicles released in North America at their state-of-the-art vehicle research center and publish annual safety ratings.

This testing has been strengthened for the TSP and TSP+ ratings. The collision energy for side-impact protection was increased by 82%, and specifically for the TSP+ rating, a nighttime pedestrian front crash prevention test was added.

In this enhanced IIHS testing, both the Volvo XC90 and XC90 Recharge PHEV demonstrated superior safety performance, achieving the TSP+ rating. This vehicle features iconic Volvo safety systems, such as a rollover protection system, intersection crash detection, emergency braking, and road departure protection systems. In 2014, it also excelled in the small overlap test, attaining a ‘G (Good)’ rating on the same platform that has been in use since 2003.

Osa Haglund, head of the Volvo Safety Center, stated, “The Volvo XC90 is continually proven to be one of the safest vehicles on the road through reputable tests like IIHS every year.”

The XC90 currently sold in Korea is equipped with Volvo’s advanced intelligent safety system, ‘IntelliSafe,’ as standard across all trims. This includes world-first technologies developed by Volvo such as ‘City Safety,’ ‘Pilot Assist II,’ ‘Road Departure Mitigation,’ ‘Oncoming Lane Collision Avoidance,’ and ‘Blind Spot Information System,’ all showcasing Volvo’s cutting-edge safety technologies.

Additionally, it includes a ‘Whiplash Protection System’ and ‘Side Impact Protection System’ designed to protect the driver and passengers during a crash, a ‘Speed Cap’ limiting the vehicle’s maximum speed to 180km/h, a ‘Care Key’ allowing the owner to set their own speed limits, and ‘Volvo Assistance,’ providing emergency call and ambulance support as standard features.

Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr