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Record-breaking safety rating for All-New Volvo V40

27th February 2013

The All-New Volvo V40 has received the top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP collision test. The overall result is the best ever recorded by the institute.

Locally, the All-New Volvo V40 was awarded the maximum five-star safety rating by ANCAP (the Australasian New Car Assessment Program) and acknowledged as the "stand-out performer".

"A fantastic result," says Thomas Broberg, Senior Technical Advisor Safety at Volvo Car Group. "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."

As of 2009, European safety institute Euro NCAP presents an overall rating for each car model whose safety it tests. Separate tests are carried out in four different subcategories, which are then ranked to produce an overall grade. The four categories are adult occupant protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist.

It is not only the overall result that is record high. The All-New Volvo V40's protection for adults was the best result ever recorded in a test, no less than 98 percent.

During the development of the All-New Volvo V40, the goal was to build in the same safety level as in larger cars. The holistic approach, a strong structure and systems such as the WHIPS whiplash protection system form the basis for the excellent result.

In the safety assist category, it scored maximum points. "The All-New Volvo V40 was launched as the most intelligent and safest car in its segment, and it is truly packed with active safety systems such as autobrake, Pedestrian Detection to shield pedestrians, Lane Keeping Aid which helps the driver stay within his or her lane, and BLIS which helps the driver detect vehicles in the offset rear â€˜blind spot'," says Thomas Broberg.

In the pedestrian protection category, the All-New Volvo V40 also set a new record. One important factor here is the innovative, unique pedestrian airbag. Sensors in the front of the car detect any contact with a pedestrian. A pyrotechnical charge releases the bonnet hinges and elevates the bonnet with the help of an airbag.

The inflated airbag's cushioning effect, combined with the increased distance to the hard components in the engine compartment, help protect the pedestrian's head in any impact.

The Euro NCAP description of the system says, among other things, that "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."

Volvo Car Group had already previously received the Euro NCAP Advanced Award for its City Safety system, which is fitted as standard in all versions of the All-New V40. City Safety will operate at speeds of up to 50km/h, which is more than any other car manufacturer offers in similar systems.

"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," says Thomas Broberg.