Not only does the company’s current model range deliver high performance, modern design and groundbreaking technology, but it also backs it up with unrivalled levels of safety, a commitment to sustainability and timeless Scandinavian style. So how did the Swedes make sensible so desirable?
8 2020 prosince
From sharing its original seat belt design and saving a million lives to limiting the top speed in all its new cars and aiming to save a million more, Volvo refuses to put a price tag on passenger safety.
Putting people before profits
If you were in charge of Volvo’s advertising department and charged with promoting the Swedish car brand around the world, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the company’s designers, engineers and strategists were having a private joke at your expense. In an industry where top speed sells, daring driving performance is praised and the dangers associated with traffic accidents are barely mentioned, Volvo has developed a seemingly “anti-automotive” marketing strategy that makes merit of all the qualities car companies have traditionally swept under the carpet.
Instead of trying to compete with its German rivals and deliver sports-car performance from its range, for example, Volvo has confirmed that all its new cars will be limited to 112mph. And to further reinforce that speed restriction, vehicles are supplied with a Care Key that enables the owner to set an even lower limit, should they so desire it (which they will if they loan the car to a new driver or a valet parking attendant). Critics sneered in delight: “Volvo is celebrating that it has the lowest top speed in the sector!” Volvo simply smiled. Sure, 112mph would be lower than its rivals’, but it would happily take the Pepsi Challenge with any marque when it comes to performance and acceleration. For Volvo, being safe is more important than speed.
In a bid to prevent traffic accidents, all new Volvo cars, including the family-friendly XC60, will be limited to 112mp
“We believe that a car maker has a responsibility to help improve traffic safety,” said Malin Ekholm, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre, in response. “Our speed-limiting technology, and the dialogue that it initiated, fits that thinking.” The brand knows that not everyone will enjoy having their speed curtailed. It gets that. What it wants to do is to start the conversation. It, as manufacturer, has made its position clear – what do the rest of us think about it? By discussing it, perhaps there may be a middle way on how we drive. Until we start talking, we will never know.
Volvo went further. Rather than keep all its accident data and 50 years’ worth of crash scene investigation research to itself, the company made all its findings available to anyone who wanted to find out more. including its automotive rivals. Under its EVA (Equal Vehicles for All) initiative, Volvo released the findings from more than 43,000 crashes, creating an invaluable online resource into what causes accidents, why injuries happen and, crucially, recommendations for prevention.
Crash tests have proven that the Volvo XC60 is one of the safest cars ever made
Incredibly valuable, but easy to ridicule as a business concept: “Volvo is trying to win over the car-buying public by revealing how dangerous driving is.” Volvo didn’t agree. And, what’s more, it never has.
“Sixty years ago, we gave away the three-point safety belt, putting people first, profits second,” said Andreas Malm, head of marketing at Volvo Cars. “By making our research available, we hope it will help more automakers to produce cars that are safe for everyone. Just like the safety belt did.” According to Volvo’s estimates (and despite initial public scepticism), the seat belt has saved more than a million lives and the company believes its new safety technology can help save a million more in the years to come.
And it wasn’t even done there. In the future, Volvo announced, its cars would be fitted with cameras and sensors that will monitor the driver to ensure they are not intoxicated or at risk of being perilously distracted behind the wheel. Its system will keep track of the driver’s visual behaviour (eye movements and control, pupil reactions and scanning behaviour), reaction times and other driving-control behaviours to monitor if the motorist is engaged in the driving process. If the system detects a pattern of vision and attention impairment, along with other serious loss of driving control, the car will then go through three phases of help.
Firstly, the car will engage its safety support systems to shield the driver from the consequences of not being actively engaged in driving and encourage the operator to drive with greater care through information and warnings. If there’s no improvement for an extended period of time, the car will then intervene by slowing down and, for example, contacting Volvo On Call for assistance services if it detects that the driver’s behaviour will lead to severe danger. Lastly, the car will eventually safely park itself on the side of the road.
Lane Assist provides steering assistance and/or a warning to the driver when the vehicle is about to leave its own lane
Rivals were again quick to condemn the concept: “Every Volvo to be fitted with Big Brother technology as standard.” Again, the company took the criticism on the chin. “When it comes to safety, our aim is to avoid accidents altogether, rather than limit the impact when an accident is imminent and unavoidable,” says Henrik Green, chief technology officer at Volvo Cars. “In this case, cameras will monitor for behaviour that may lead to serious injury or death.”
Thanks to the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), the driver is warned if another vehicle is approaching, even if visibility is limited
So, in summary, Volvo told the public its cars were slower, reminded them that accidents were common and that in future it would not allow irresponsible drivers to put the lives of others at risk, whether they liked it or not. And instead of talking about “sheer driving pleasure” or telling the public they should accept “the best or nothing”, Volvo Cars’ president and CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, offered this mission statement: “Our vision is that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo.” Sounds like a PR disaster, right?
Volvo’s run-off road mitigation system helps steer and brake if you stray towards the edge of the road
Of course it does, except that the majority of people not only supported Volvo’s ideas, but they also endorsed them by buying Volvo cars like never before. And for those who didn’t like what they were hearing, Volvo understands. Back in 1959, very few people wanted to wear their seat belts, either. Look where we are now.
‘We will be at the forefront of electrification’
With Swedish design at its core and safety embedded in its DNA, Volvo is prioritising an electric-powered future
Just because Volvo has prioritised safety doesn’t mean its cars don’t have to (or need to) look good. As recently as ten years ago, by the company’s own admission, Volvo aesthetics were not particularly inspiring. Functional, yes. Desirable. not so much. However, a change of ownership from Ford to the Chinese group Geely and a revised commitment to producing a luxury product that should take inspiration from Scandinavian design gave the company a new lease of life. From premium pretenders to genuine rivals to the German marques, Volvo turned things around by focusing on its own sense of style.
Volvo’s XC60 range spans diesel and petrol power, plus Recharge plug-in hybrid T6 and T8 variants
That change in philosophy was first demonstrated with the unveiling of the 2015 XC90. A groundbreaking, monumentally improved version of the seven-seat SUV it had first introduced in 2003, this was a car that redefined what Volvo stood for. Instead of struggling to get the XC90 to set a pointlessly fast lap time on the Nürburgring, or developing its off-road potential so that it might scale the Kebnekaise, Volvo chose to put humanity ahead of headlines. Or, as the brand’s then senior vice president of design, Thomas Ingenlath, put it, “One thing that’s been strong for Volvo historically will also be strong in its future: we’re centered on the human over the machine.”
Here was a car that was comfortable, capable, spacious, efficient, refined and great to drive. It also looked clean, elegant and ergonomic. The company simplified the interior, replaced cluttered knobs and dials with a beautiful touchscreen and turned the cabin into an oasis of calm. It also offered a host of pioneering accident prevention features such as run-off road protection, City Safety auto braking, Pilot Assist, etc. What it didn’t do is try to be something it wasn’t. And Volvo knew it was on to a winner. It was so confident, in fact, that it reportedly gave the first one off the production line to Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden. And it gave number ten to the unofficial king of Sweden, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Luxurious materials meet sophisticated styling in the XC60’s minimalist interior, which is dominated by a nine-inch touchscreen
By following its instincts and its core brand values, using classic Swedish design concepts and prioritising the safety ideals embedded in its DNA, Volvo found its audience and in the next four years it replaced its entire range of cars. The XC90 became the flagship, the XC40 impressed everyone as the new compact kid on the block, but it was the XC60 that struck a chord with the car-buying public.
As Volvo’s best-selling car around the world (and the World Car Of The Year in 2019), the XC60 is a mid-size crossover SUV that delivers five-star safety features as standard, but is as handsome and refined as anything in its class – and that is in a seriously competitive sector. Although it sits on the XC90 platform, it doesn’t feel as hefty as its big brother or as diminutive as the XC40. It is just. right. From the outside it is understated but undeniably stylish, like a sober but immaculately tailored suit. By removing the base XC90’s third row of seats there is far less “junk in the trunk”, meaning the rear of the XC60 looks neater and smarter. A slighter silhouette also gives it a sleeker profile making it easier on the eye without losing any of its on-road presence in other words, it is more impressive and less imposing. It’s cleverly done.
The XC60 Recharge T8 combines petrol and electric power with plug-in capability to deliver economy and practicality
Inside, the Scandi story continues. Yes, it’s packed with all the tech you’d expect, all operated easily and intuitively from the large touchscreen interface – “It is about clear and easy communication, using technology in the best way our customers understand and not overloading them with tech for tech’s sake,” explained Robin Page, Volvo Cars’ senior vice president of design but what stands out is the elegance and warmly welcoming materials that surround you. You can have black leather and chrome, but why would you when Volvo is offering soft, light colours, mood-enhancing matte wood and the softest leather seats? This is Zen and the art of interior design at its very best. And that is without ever compromising on that key Volvo principle: safety first.
“We work with the safety requirements in parallel to the design development of each model, so we do not see safety as having a negative effect on design, but instead being a fundamental part of the process,” Page continued. “The XC60, for example, has our premium proportions and beautiful form language, but fulfils the requirements and packages the technology to meet the highest standards. Something which is really important is also creating the reassurance that our customers feel safe and trust the car. We have a big focus on the user experience and using technology to prevent an accident happening in the first place and reassuring the customer with clear communication that all is well.”
And then there are the engines. All XC60s have two-litre power plants and run on petrol or diesel with the option of either mild or plug-in hybrid electrical options. That means the current model has a small battery that can be charged through a conventional plug (the XC60 Recharge has a range of 33 miles on electric power alone) or, in the case of the mild-hybrid, through energy recuperation via the engine itself. Either way, this means both fuel consumption and emissions are reduced, a major step in the right direction for environmental benefits and for Volvo’s short- term target (by 2025 its aim is to have sold one million electric cars and for 50 per cent of its sales to be pure EV, with the rest composed of hybrids) as well as its long-term goal (by 2040, the company itself intends to be entirely carbon neutral).
“It is a deliberately ambitious target,” admitted Hakan Samuelsson, Volvo Cars’ president and CEO. “It is going to be a challenge, but Volvo wants to be at the forefront of this shift to electrification.”
Transforming the company through actions not pledges
From car components to industrial infrastructure, Volvo intends to save the planet as well as lives
Volvo’s commitment to sustainability is perhaps the most remarkable (and responsible) in the car industry. It was the first conventional automotive manufacturer to commit to all-out electrification (starting with the XC40 Recharge) and promise to phase out the internal combustion engine. To that end, it has tripled its EV targets and is striving to reduce CO2 throughout its supply chain by 25 per cent by 2025 and another 25 per cent across its own operation, including research and development, manufacturing and logistics.
“We are transforming our company through concrete actions, not symbolic pledges,” said Volvo Cars’ president and CEO, Hakan Samuelsson. “So at Volvo Cars we will address what we control, which is both our operations and the tailpipe emissions of our cars, and we will address what we can influence, by calling on our suppliers and the energy sector to join us in aiming for a climate-neutral future.”
Volvo Cars’ chief technology officer, Henrik Green, agrees: “This is an issue the car industry alone cannot solve. We need cities, states and countries to help build an infrastructure and supply of renewable energy. Today, the supply chain makes up for one-third of the total CO2 footprint throughout a new car’s life cycle. This is an industry challenge – we need to collaborate with carmakers, battery makers, legislation makers and energy providers to solve it.”
