Volvo Car South Africa (VCSA) will launch ten new models over the next four years, says newly appointed MD Greg Maruszewski.

Four years from now, the new XC90, available in South Africa in August, “will be the oldest car in our showroom”, he adds.

“We will also be entering some new segments in the next few years.”

He declines to name Volvo Car Group’s new segment targets.

He acknowledges, however, that the Swedish premium brand may have fallen “half a step” behind its German competitors, but believes the product rollout in the coming years will increase Volvo Car’s competitiveness in the marketplace.

“The focus is there, the money is there from our new owners. We want to carve out our spot as a Swedish luxury brand. We want to make that final leap and become an established member of the premium segment.”

Chinese company Geely acquired Volvo Car in 2010.

The new made-in-Sweden XC90 large sports-utility vehicle (SUV) is the first in Volvo Car’s renewed product rollout.

“The XC90 . . . is the first step in our product renewal plan and reflects our commitment to deliver a new kind of luxury car experience,” said Volvo Car Group president and CEO Håkan Samuelsson at the car’s global launch last year.

As would be expected from Volvo, the seven-seater comes packed with technology and safety features. The IntelliSafe package comes as as standard, and includes run-off road protection and auto brake at intersections.

Volvo’s Vision 2020 is to have no one killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car, states Maruszewski – a pretty ambitious statement from any car maker.

Road departure accidents – when one or more of the wheels veer off the road –  is a common occurrence, caused by, for example, driver distraction or poor weather conditions.

Volvo says half of all traffic fatalities in the US are due to road departure accidents. In Sweden, single-vehicle accidents are responsible for one third of all fatal and severe injury crashes involving passenger cars.
 
To counter this, the XC90 tightens the front safety belts to keep its occupants in position during an unplanned road departure. To help prevent spinal injuries, energy absorption between the seat and seat frame minimises the vertical force on occupants if the car encounters a hard landing during an accident.

The safety system reduces the vertical occupant forces by a third, and the risk of spinal injuries.

The system is assisted by three technologies: lane keeping aid that applies extra steering torque if the car is about to leave the lane unintentionally, driver alert control that detects and warns tired or inattentive drivers, and rest stop guidance that directs the driver to the nearest rest area. 

The XC90 also features automatic braking, should the driver turn in front of oncoming traffic at intersections.

The SUV detects a potential crash and brakes automatically in order to avoid a collision.

Cross traffic alert assists the driver when reversing out of a parking space. The system audibly warns of approaching traffic up to 30 m on each side.

Other safety features on the XC90 include rearward facing radar, which detects if rear impact is imminent. The safety belts are tightened, in advance, to keep the occupants in the safest position, and lights flash to warn the driver of the approaching vehicle what is about to happen. The brakes are also activated to help reduce the impact on the occupants.

Driver aids on the XC90 include queue assist, which enables comfortable city driving by automatically following the vehicle in front in slow-moving queues. Acceleration, braking and steering are controlled automatically.

Surround view gives a 360° bird’s-eye view – provided on the driver interface, based on touch-screen technology – of the surrounding area with the car as the centre point.

This is quite handy when manoeuvring a large SUV in tight spaces.

Surround view relies on four concealed fish-eye cameras – one integrated into the front of the vehicle, one integrated in each of the door mirrors and one fitted above the rear number plate.

Inside, Volvo’s Sensus control system offers a range of cloud-based applications and services which can be operated via the touch screen, through steering wheel controls, or via the advanced on-board voice control system.

First Volvo Hybrid on its Way
Initially, the new Volvo XC90 range will launch with the T6 and D5 derivatives. Pricing starts at R853 200.

The D5 features a four-cylinder, two-litre, twin turbo-diesel engine, offering 165 kW of power and 470 Nm of torque.
The T6 has a four-cylinder, two-litre, super and turbocharged petrol engine, offering 235 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque.

The D4 and T5 derivatives will follow towards the end of next year.

The T8 hybrid will be available in the first half of 2016, and will be VCSA’s first hybrid engine available in the local market.