Betten Imports

By now, collision avoidance systems that automatically apply the brakes to a speeding car have become pretty common. But while cars will suddenly slow if they detect an accident is about to happen, automakers have been hesitant to bring them to a sudden and full emergency stop.

Volvo is about to change all that. With the launch of the S60 next year, Volvo will introduce a "full auto brake" and "pedestrian safety" function. Cars will come a full stop at speeds less than about 15 miles an hour if their radar systems detect they are about to strike a car or a person. If the car is going faster, the car will try to come as close to a full stop as possible.

"If the car is travelling faster, the aim is to reduce the impact speed as much as possible. In most cases, we can reduce the collision force by about 75%," says Thomas Broberg, Volvo's safety expert. "Considering the large number of pedestrian fatalities that occur, if we manage to reduce the fatality risk with 20 percent this new function will make a big difference."

The system is also supposed to work in the event of rear-end impacts with other vehicles. Statistics reveal that half of all drivers who hit another vehicle from behind do not brake at all prior to the collision.

"Zero is the one and only alternative for us. As the leader in car safety we can't accept that people are killed or injured just because they want to transport themselves from A to B," says Jan Ivarsson, head of safety strategy at Volvo Cars.

To create a safer electric vehicle, Volvo has leveraged its knowledge of how vehicles react in a collision. The company has a large database of vehicles and collision characteristics to help pinpoint areas that need reinforcing within a vehicle, allowing the automaker to find the safest place to install a large battery pack.

"A holistic approach and real-life traffic conditions are always the starting point for Volvo's safety work," said Thomas Broberg, a Volvo safety expert. "Based on our massive database featuring input from actual raod accidents, we know where the focus must lie in everyday traffic conditions."

"The solutions we have developed for our forthcoming electric cars therefore take into account the situations that are unique to this type of car."

Contrary to what many people think of when they think "crash testing," each component of the vehicle is tested for safety before it even makes it into the car as a whole. Once every component is shown to be safe, the car is assembled and tested to see how it performs as a whole. This especially applies to the battery pack, which, in a collision, could potentially leak, electrocute an emergency responder, or even be ejected from the vehicle.

To prevent any of these scenarios, Volvo encapsulated the battery, ventilated the pack, and reinforced the steel beams that support the breaker. Emergency workers can use an electrical battery disconnect easily accessible from the outside of the car.

September 16, 2009, 11:06 am

Stephen Lewis  NY TIMES

September 8th, 2009 MotorAuthority.com

Following on from the recently revealed 2010 C70 convertible, Volvo has released images of its facelifted 2010 C30 hatchback ahead of its official world debut at the Frankfurt auto show later this month. The stylish hatch can be ordered in numerous configurations thanks to a wide selection of drivetrains, design details and equipment levels, and the new C30 offers even more choice than before.

With its new front, the C30 reveals traces of the 2009 S60 Concept that was unveiled at the Detroit auto show earlier this year, bringing the hatch in line with Volvo's new design language. In fact, the entire front has been redesigned, including body panels such as the front wings. This gives the car a radical new appearance from the front, carving out a distinctive personality which clearly separates the C30 from the Volvo S40 and V50.

New elements include a larger Volvo badge, new air intakes similar to those found on the XC60 crossover, and a newly designed grille. Designers have also added an 'Orange Flame Metallic' paint scheme, visible exhaust tailpipes on the T5 and D5 models, and two new wheel options.

Inside, Volvo's trademark floating center stack gets a redesign, as does the aluminum door handles.

For the performance buffs, there's an optional sport chassis with stiffer, more distinct properties than previously. The steering is more precise owing to the installation of stiffer bushings and a lower steering ratio. Spring stiffness has been increased by 30%, while the dampers and roll stabilizers get some added stiffness to boost handling performance.

The engine lineup consists of both gasoline and diesel units and ranges in output from 100 horsepower from a compact 1.6-liter unit to 230 horsepower from a range topping turbocharged 2.5-liter mill. The most fuel-efficient model is a 1.6-liter turbodiesel with engine stop-start technology, which returns a claimed fuel economy of 60 mpg.

Transmission choices include a six-speed manual gearbox, five-speed automatic or a six-speed Powershift dual-clutch unit.

Stay tuned for the car's official unveiling later this month and expect more details to be forthcoming closer to its sales launch, expected early next year.

Posted by Tom Rademacher | The Grand Rapids Press August 08, 2008 17:30PM

When is enough, enough?

Don't ask Irv Gordon, who boasts the world's longest-running passenger car, a 42-year-old Volvo closing in on 2.7 million miles.

Gordon's car is touted by the Guinness Book of World Records as the vehicle with the "highest certified mileage driven by the original owner in non-commercial service."

And he's in West Michigan this week drawing attention to his 1966 Volvo P1800 and Volvos in general. Friday, he visited Betten Imports at 5901 28th Street SE, and Saturday, he planned to be the guest of the Great Lakes Volvo Club at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, northeast of Kalamazoo.

Aug 12, 2009  USA TODAY  Booster seats lower by 59% the crash injury risk for 4- to 7-year-old kids, say researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Others have long said boosters can benefit kids up to age 12, such as by preventing abdominal injuries from lap belts riding too high. They are required in some, but not all, states.

But the extra seats are a hassle for parents. And older kids often resist because the seats can be uncomfortable because they don't fit in them anymore. As a result, boosters are commonly chucked as soon as it's legal. 

Drive On's Jayne O'Donnell was pleasantly surprised when her daughter Cate -- that's her at right, 9 years old  and legally out of a booster seat in her home state of Virginia for two years -- was happy to ride in the built-in booster in a 2010 Volvo XC60 T6 crossover test car.

Volvo's seat pulls up from the regular seat bottom, raising kids so the adult-sized safety belts fit better without making it look like they are riding in a "kiddie seat" -- an add-on child seat lookalike. Kids actually look older, perched higher, and get a "stadium seating" view.

This wagon will make you think SUV crossover and that is so often a good thing these days anyway.  With the better-than-average, spell it out, exceptional Swedish design, this Volvo gets a thumbs up for sure.  Redesigned last year, 2009 is looking the same with a few exceptions as the bluetooth has been added as well as the ultra-cool fog lights and the Technology Package that comes on the other Volvo wagons as well.  Falling into the old category of S80 sedan, keep your eyes open as this one offers large cargo capacity worth the price and a lot of really good standard features. 

What You Need to Know:  Safety first with Volvo so take note of the blind-spot warning system, a Vehicle Distance Alert, Driver Alert Control, collision warning system and a lane-departure warning system.  Indeed, this car won't let you do anything wrong without first giving you a heads-up.  The engine comes in a 3.2-liter inline-6 with 235 horsepower and a six-speed automatic with a manual shift control.  Note too, the only option is front-wheel drive so you better like that.  Finally, get it from 0 to 60 in a little under eight seconds - means you accelerate fast.

July 2, 2009 Detroit Free Press
Attention Assist sounds like something to keep kids focused on homework instead of Game Boy, but it's Mercedes-Benz's name for a system intended to keep drivers from falling asleep behind the wheel of the 2010 E-class luxury sedan.

The system watches for frequent sudden small steering corrections to keep the car in its lane, which Mercedes says is one of the primary indicators of drowsy driving.

When the steering corrections and 70 other parameters Mercedes monitors indicate the driver is in danger of falling asleep, the system beeps and the image of an espresso cup lights up in instrument cluster.

Attention Assist is standard equipment on the E-class, which just went on sale at a base price of $48,600.

Mercedes says sleepy drivers are responsible for 100,000 crashes, 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries a year in the United States. Drowsy driving is classified as reckless driving in New Jersey, where it can be charged as a criminal offense.

July 1, 2009 Nathan Aldan Examiner.com

Rarely do I look at a small crossover SUV and think, "Hmm, that's mighty sexy." Rarer still do I see one of these ubiquitous family haulers moving with the agility of a sports sedan. Add to that rarity a semblance of an attractive interior and you have something special.

This Volvo XC60 is a rare breed indeed for it is magnificence in nearly every way.

No, a bunch of Swedes did not pay me off in herring. I merely speak the truth and many automotive writers agree. Volvo did an amazing job with styling this vehicle. The swoopy lines are very appealing to the eye while maintaining a connection to Volvo's overall styling. There is a strong design language that I hope shows a glimpse into Volvo's thinking in the future. The tail is my favorite, sculpted component - shapely, elegant and functional.

Nice.

July 1, 2009 LA TIMES

Volkswagen's clean diesels posted their best sales month ever since their re-introduction to the American market earlier this year, with 5,072 units sold last month alone. That represents a whopping 26% of Volkswagen sales, which is an amazing number for American diesel sales, but not so much for Europe, where in some countries diesel sales hover around 60%.

Jetta SportWagen TDI sales lead the pack with 1,982 units sold in June. Clean-diesel TDI models, according to Volkswagen, accounted for 81% of Jetta SportWagen sales, 40% of Jetta sedan sales and 29% of Touareg sales.

We've driven all three models and have to say that compared with the anemic Toyota Prius, we'd take a torque-heavy and fuel-sipping TDI any day of the week over a gas-electric hybrid. 

Perhaps Southern California will soon equate diesel with automobiles instead of overpriced, cheesy Euro denim.

-- Jon Alain Guzik LA Times

Tuesday, 09 June 2009 18:06

June 8 - News Release from the IIHS

Volkswagen CC earns Top Safety Pick award

The 2009 Volkswagen CC, a midsize moderately priced car, is the Institute's newest 2009 Top Safety Pick award winner. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control. Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard on the CC.

"Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results," says Institute president Adrian Lund.

New Institute ratings for the Volkswagen CC

To create a safer electric vehicle, Volvo has leveraged its knowledge of how vehicles react in a collision. The company has a large database of vehicles and collision characteristics to help pinpoint areas that need reinforcing within a vehicle, allowing the automaker to find the safest place to install a large battery pack.

"A holistic approach and real-life traffic conditions are always the starting point for Volvo's safety work," said Thomas Broberg, a Volvo safety expert. "Based on our massive database featuring input from actual raod accidents, we know where the focus must lie in everyday traffic conditions."

"The solutions we have developed for our forthcoming electric cars therefore take into account the situations that are unique to this type of car."

Contrary to what many people think of when they think "crash testing," each component of the vehicle is tested for safety before it even makes it into the car as a whole. Once every component is shown to be safe, the car is assembled and tested to see how it performs as a whole. This especially applies to the battery pack, which, in a collision, could potentially leak, electrocute an emergency responder, or even be ejected from the vehicle.

To prevent any of these scenarios, Volvo encapsulated the battery, ventilated the pack, and reinforced the steel beams that support the breaker. Emergency workers can use an electrical battery disconnect easily accessible from the outside of the car.