The 2013 Volvo XC60 Earns a Top Safety Pick+ Rating

MEREDITH, N.H. - March 12, 2013 - PRLog -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has recognized the Volvo XC60 as a 2013 Top Safety Pick+, the only luxury SUV to earn such a distinction. The award highlights Volvo's continued dedication to creating some of the market's safest vehicles.

The IIHS recently tightened its testing regulations, including the addition of a new small partial overlap crash test, making it difficult for vehicles to earn the Top Safety Pick distinction. Compared with the classic crash test where a vehicle hits an object head on, a small partial overlap occurs when only a minor area of the front makes contact in a collision. Real world examples would be if one corner of a vehicle hit a pole or the edge of a building.

Since the same amount of force is exerted in a smaller area, this type of crash is typically considered much more dangerous than a full front-on collision. Many vehicles are not built to withstand point forces like this, so in the event of a small overlap crash, passengers can easily be trapped in the crumpled compartment.

The 2013 XC60, on the other hand, demonstrated during controlled safety tests at IIHS' headquarters (http://www.volvocars.com/us/top/about/iihs-crash-test/pag...) that it had a very strong chance of protecting passengers during a small partial overlap incident. The cabin remained intact, allowing the driver to escape, and airbag deployment effectively cushioned the head and torso.  

Not all of the 2013 XC60 safety systems are reactive, though. Other standard safety features that continually work to keep the XC60 out of danger include:

•          Dynamic stability and traction control

•         Roll stability control

•         Daytime running lights

•         Driver alert control and lane departure warning

Drivers interested in taking the XC60 for a test drive and learning more about what it has to offer should contact Lovering Volvo of Meredith (http://www.loveringmeredith.com/contact-form.htm). Lovering is located at 251 Daniel Webster Highway, on the southern side of Meredith, just a short drive from many central New Hampshire area towns. The Lovering family is pleased to continue to be one of the most trusted names in auto sales in the region.

WATCH A VIDEO OF THE XC60 IN AN IIHS SAFETY CRASH TEST :

 http://www.loveringmeredith.com/iihs-safety.htm