Safety first

Safety has long been a cornerstone of Volvo’s success and the company described the first-generation XC60 as its safest model yet. A major selling point was the City Safety system, which used a laser mounted by the rearview mirror to scan the road up to 10 metres ahead. Operating at speeds up to 30km/h and able to make 50 calculations per second, it applied the brakes if a stationary object was identified.

In 2010, the radar and camerabased Pedestrian Detection and Full Auto Brake took things further, and there was plenty more tech, including Roll Stability Control, WHIPS whiplash protection and blind-spot monitoring. It was all very reassuring for family buyers.