The Volvo C70 earned the US Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety's (IIHS) Top Safety Pick recommendation for
superior crash protection.
The C70 along with nine other midsized convertible models -
including BMW 3-Series convertible, Audi A4 convertible and Saab
9-3 convertible - were group tested in the IIHS's first comparative
crash test of midsize convertible models.
To get this rating a vehicle has to score "Good" in all three of
the Institute crash tests; frontal offset, side and rear (seat
assessment for Whiplash). An Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system as standard is also required. For convertibles the IIHS have
also added that the vehicle must be equipped with roll bars like
the Volvo C70's Roll-over Protection System (ROPS) to get the Top
Safety Pick.
"The very high safety level of the new C70 is a result of our
continuous development based on our extensive real-world traffic
research. Select crash tests used to assess safety in these kinds
of surveys can only take one or few aspects of a vehicle's overall
safety level into account. Still, they give you an indication of
the safety level," says Ingrid Skogsmo, head of the Volvo Safety
Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden. "It is of course very encouraging to
get this kind of acknowledgement. We will, however, continue to
work along our guiding principle: cars are driven by people and in
case of an accident the car should provide the best possible
protection," she concludes.
Volvo C70 - a benchmark for convertible
safety
The Volvo C70 was launched in 2005 and has set the benchmark for
convertible safety covering both preventive and protective aspects.
Our human centred safety approach has resulted in a number of
safety systems being standard in the C70, including the unique Door
Mounted Inflatable Curtain for side impact protection, the use of
multiple grades of steel for frontal and rear collisions, Volvo's
Roll Over Protection System (ROPS), and Dynamic Stability Traction
Control.
For more information, please refer to the IIHS's website:
www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr053107.html
Download
Insurance Institute For Highway Safety - 1st Time Institute Test
Convertibles - PDF
Contact for more information:
Laurissa Mirabelli
Public Affairs Manager
Volvo Car Australia
(02) 9020 1600
Lmirabel@volvocars.com