It’s been a very big year for Volvo.
The brand has undergone a veritable transformation in 2015 with the release of the popular new XC90 and S90 models. These, along with Volvo’s announcement that it’s committed to having no passengers killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020 – a stunningly bold proposition that would set a groundbreaking standard of safety for the industry. With all this on the horizon, the future looks very bright for Volvo.
But perhaps most impressive is the way in which Volvo has been able to bring the future to today, with all of the impressive technology it has been developing in its cars and its brand in general. With these, Volvo and Volvo dealerships in NJ are able to offer not only some of the most premium entertainment and luxury options available but also some of the overall safest and most well-protected vehicles on the road today.
We didn’t need much persuasion to be impressed with the new Volvo models; they just look really cool, and Volvos have a great reputation anyway. They surprised us, however, with these tech improvements, and so here are some of our favorite tech additions that have made Volvo stand out so much this past year:
IntelliSafe – Safety At Your Fingertips
Volvo has surged in the driver safety technology sector in recent years, especially with the introduction of its new IntelliSafe technology system.
Designed to be your constant co-pilot, the IntelliSafe system is fully loaded with all of the most groundbreaking safety tech available. Volvo’s City Safe technology uses radar-like detectors to “look” around corners at intersections to detect pedestrians, whether they are stationary or moving, and can automatically brake to avoid a collision.
Likewise, cyclist detection technology can do the same thing for cyclists on the road, and the intersection detection technology can scan an intersection and brake or avoid unforeseen collisions.
Amazingly, Volvo has also been working to repurpose this same technology in its Australian models to help mitigate kangaroo collisions,
which cause thousands of injuries and thousands of dollars in damages each year.
Regular driving also becomes a breeze with the help of IntelliSafe. While riding the Adaptive Cruise Control – which automatically keeps a safe distance between you and the car in front of you – you can feel more secure thanks to Volvo’s Lane Keeping Aid, which senses when your car has begun to drift out of its lane and gently steers the vehicle back on track. If the vehicle senses an imminent collision, it can automatically apply the proper brake pressure to mitigate the worst damage of the crash and keep you and the other drivers as safe as possible.
You’ll be the most courteous driver with IntelliSafe’s Active High Beam Control, which allows drivers to leave their high beams on all the time by detecting oncoming cars at night and dimming automatically. Confident Lane Changing alerts you of dangers in your blind spots, while sleepy drivers can expect gentle encouragements to rest and directions to the nearest resting area from the Driver Alert Control. If that’s not enough, a full 360-degree camera around the vehicle lets you have total control over your Volvo in almost any space.
And what’s safer that driving with all of this safety technology? Not even driving at all.
As part of its IntelliSafe program, Volvo plans to integrate more autonomous driving features to take the human error out of driving and put the task into the hands of the vehicle itself. With programmed safety technology that can respond to stimuli faster than the human brain, it may just be safer than driving yourself.
This is hinted at by Volvo’s new concept model, dubbed the Concept 26, which is designed with autonomous driving in mind. Focused on driver comfort and safety, this concept features a completely redesigned seat and three driving modes: Drive, which gives the driver total control over the vehicle; Create, which reclines the driver’s seat and puts a majority of the navigation on the vehicle itself; and Relax, which fully reclines the driver’s seat and puts everything in the hands of IntelliSafe.
Although Volvo is only testing this autonomous-driving technology in Sweden right now, we hope to see it as an option on commercial models in the near future if Volvo hopes to hit its safety goal of no one killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020.
Drive-E – A Cleaner Powertrain
For years, Volvo vehicles have been known worldwide for their luxurious style and superior driveability. With the changing demands of the marketplace, however, all car makers have been tasked with meeting the rising clamor for efficient cars that don’t burn through tons of gas. Luckily, Volvo has stepped up to the plate with its Drive-E powertrain line.
In an effort to combine all of the expected power, efficiency, and superior driveability a consumer expects in a Volvo, the company has come out with the all-new Drive-E powertrains, which combine the low-fuel consumption and emissions of a four-cylinder engine with the performance of a six or eight-cylinder.
In the European market, Volvo is offering a plug-in hybrid version of some of its models, complete with three selectable driving modes: Pure electric, Hybrid, or Power, in order of increasing performance.
The Drive-E system also includes Volvo’s Interior Air Quality System, which checks incoming air for pollutants and closes the vents when necessary, as well as an active carbon filter to protect against harmful gases and unpleasant odors in the cabin. This ensures that your interior air supply will be free of impurities and unpleasantness.
This highly-efficient Drive-E system is an exciting step in the direction of efficiency for this renowned luxury automaker.
Sensus – Premium Infotainment
It’s 2015 – by this point, it seems like a touchscreen infotainment center should be standard in almost every new car model. That’s why it’s so impressive to see a car maker go so far above and beyond expectations in this area, as Volvo has done with its impressive Sensus system.
The Sensus system offers total connectivity to streaming audio through a suite of connected apps, including music, audiobooks, radio, and much more. Bluetooth and phone connectivity help passengers stay on the ball even when on the road, and integrated 3D navigation makes sure you get where you’re going in one piece. Plus, with built-in Wi-Fi throughout the cabin, everyone will be able to access their favorite sites from just about anywhere.
Recognized by the auto industry as a best-in-class infotainment system, Volvo has chosen to include this impressive system in every one of its models on the road today. That means that a driver can connect to Sensus from each and every new Volvo – unheard of across the rest of the auto industry.
Perhaps most impressive about the Sensus system is the new Volvo On Call technology available on every Volvo driver’s mobile phone. From here, a Volvo driver can do everything from see the current fuel level and mileage to remotely unlock and start his or her vehicle – all from the portable convenience of a cell phone.
These are the most impressive new technologies from Volvo that add another level of luxury to their already amazing vehicles. With work like this, it doesn’t seem that unlikely that the company will meet its safety goal by 2020. We hope to see that come true – if not only because we hope to see more of this awesome tech.
