We are proud to announce that the New Volvo XC90 has won the prestigious 2016 WesBank / South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year award!

 

The battle for the 2016 Car of the Year saw 12 of the top vehicles in South Africa, voted by the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ), compete for the coveted title in Johannesburg.

It came down to the wire for the 12 finalists. For the first time in the competition, the first and second runner-up was revealed. Each of the 12 contenders were put through stringent testing by 27 jury members during a two-day evaluation process earlier in February 2016 at the Gerotek test facility just outside Pretoria.
The winner was revealed!

The Volvo XC90 has been crowned the 2016 SA Car of the Year.

Volvo South Africa managing director, Greg Maruszewski, said: “We are absolutely delighted with our victory. With the all-new XC90 we are not only re-writing the rules of a post-modern luxury driving experience but reinventing our brand as well.”

VISIT VOLVO CARS GABORONE AND TEST DRIVE OUR CAR OF THE YEAR!

For further information or to book a test drive contact us on:

Thamang Gaotilwe (T) 365 6000 (E) thamang.gaotilwe@bwmr.co.bw

Shannon Corentin (T) 365 6000 (E) shannon.corentin@bwmr.co.bw

 

 

Terms & Conditions: Information is subject to change. Actual models may differ from images shown. E&OE.

The tranquil interior is a deliberate contrast to the strong, confident exterior, representing a unique collaboration between designers and engineers.

The interior of the Volvo XC90 will make you feel dramatically different when you’re inside – harmonized, intuitive, natural. It marks a whole new kind of luxury for Volvo.

You know that you are looking at a truly great design when what appears simple at first glance turns out to be ingenious and stimulating once you discover the thoughts and details that make up the whole.

The Volvo XC90 is a luxury vehicle by any measure, and promises more than rewarding comfort and class-leading style. This is a Luxury vehicle that’s smarter and stronger in all the right places, for all the right reasons.

 

Want to experience Swedish luxury?

VISIT VOLVO CARS GABORONE FOR A MADE-FOR-YOU OFFER.

For further information or to book a test drive contact us on:

Thamang Gaotilwe (T) 365 6000 (E) thamang.gaotilwe@bwmr.co.bw

Shannon Corentin (T) 365 6000 (E) shannon.corentin@bwmr.co.bw

 

 

Terms & Conditions: Information is subject to change. Actual models may differ from images shown. E&OE.

The all-new Volvo S90 marks a giant step forward for Volvo Cars. The Swedish car maker is better-known for its SUVs and estates, but with the launch of the S90 Volvo is clearly intent on shaking up the premium sedan segment with its distinctive executive class sedan.

Equipped with a host of new technologies ranging from cutting edge safety to cloud-based apps and services, the all-new Volvo S90 is further proof of the Swedish brand’s continuing transformation.

“With the launch of the XC90 we made a clear statement of intent. We are now clearly and firmly in the game. With $11 billion USD of investment over the past five years we have not only reimagined what Volvo Cars can be – we are now delivering on our promise of a resurgent and relevant Volvo Cars brand,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Car Group.

The new Volvo S90 comes equipped with an advanced semi-autonomous drive feature: Pilot Assist. The system gives gentle steering inputs to keep the car properly aligned within lane markings up to highway speeds of around 130 km/h and no longer needs to follow another car. Pilot Assist is another step towards full autonomous drive – a key innovation area for Volvo.

The all-new Volvo S90 will also come with a clean and powerful T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain and one of the most luxuriously appointed interiors and connected infotainment systems in the large sedan segment.

“Our idea was to bring something entirely new to this rather conservative segment and deliver a visual expression that exudes leadership and confidence on the exterior. On the inside we have taken the S90 to the next level, delivering a high-end luxury experience that promises comfort and control,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Car Group.

The S90 also introduces a world first function to City Safety – large animal detection – which is capable of detecting large animals such as elk, horses or moose, night or day. The technology utilises an intuitive warning and brake support to help avoid a collision. The S90 has also benefitted from Volvo Cars’ recent investment in a highly advanced chassis simulator.

“The S90 is taking a big stride forwards in terms of driving dynamics, performance and ride. We have completely redesigned the Volvo driving experience from the ground up to deliver a sense of precision, engaging control and comfort,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

 

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• All-road, all-weather capability and rugged design.
• Sporty driving feel with added ‘go-anywhere’ capability.

Reflecting Volvo’s Scandinavian heritage and love of nature and adventure, the V60 Cross Country brings together the best of both worlds – a sporty, connected yet comfortable driving experience with the freedom to explore new horizons.

Volvo’s Cross Country brand has a long and distinguished heritage. Volvo Cars was the first premium brand to offer increased all-road capability and styling on its wagons as far back as 1997 when it introduced the V70 Cross Country, creating a whole new type of car experience that has since captured the imagination of the motoring public.

“We are delighted to add the third true Cross Country model to our product portfolio. The successful combination of dynamic styling and rugged capability places the V60 Cross Country in a class of its own,” said Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Product Strategy and Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Cars.

Sporty capability

“With ground clearance increased by 65mm compared to the standard Volvo V60, the Cross Country’s sturdy construction offers unparalleled control on and off the beaten track, coupled with an enhanced sporty driving experience thanks to torque vectoring technology and corner traction control. The V60 Cross Country really is a getaway car – enabling an adventurous lifestyle in pure rugged form,” said Lex Kerssemakers.

Offering new Cross Country 18” and 19” wheels, the Volvo V60 Cross Country comes with high profile tyres, adding comfort and off-road aesthetics, reducing road noise and providing added wheel protection whether climbing kerbs or negotiating rocky roads.

Rugged individualist design

Central to the Cross Country concept is the expression of go-anywhere capability and rugged design. It caters to those who have an active lifestyle, favouring the dirt road over the paved, handling either with ease. This is manifested in the Volvo V60 Cross Country through explicit design cues that heighten the adventurous nature of the car. With increased ground clearance, skid plates front and rear, side scuff plates and fender extenders, the V60 Cross Country conveys an imposing, muscular presence that underlies its capable nature, while integrated tailpipes reflect its sporty dark side.

The Volvo V60 Cross Country is only available in AWD derivatives.

 

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The all new Volvo XC90 has been awarded five stars and achieved top ratings in the 2015 Euro NCAP tests. The XC90 with standard City Safety technology stood out as the first car from any manufacturer to score full points in Euro NCAP Autonomous Emergency Braking Car to Car rear-end tests (AEB City & AEB Interurban).

“This is further proof that with the Volvo XC90 we have developed one of the safest cars in the world. In fact we scored one hundred per cent in the Safety Assist category. From an industry perspective Volvo Cars remains the leader in car safety innovation and miles ahead of the competition with our standard safety offer,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

One hundred percent in Safety Assist

The new Volvo XC90 scored one hundred per cent in the Safety Assist category and is also the first car to receive the maximum score in the two Autonomous Emergency Braking tests AEB City & AEB Interurban. The new XC90 also features advanced pedestrian protection functionality that independent safety regulators have yet to include in their testing protocols, demonstrating once again how the Swedish carmaker continues to dominate and innovate in the field of car safety.

“We are the first car manufacturer to surpass the criteria that Euro NCAP has applied to the AEB Interurban and City testing procedures. City Safety is one of the most advanced standard crash prevention offers you can find in a modern car. It addresses vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians in certain situations, day and night,” said Martin Magnusson, Principal Engineer at Volvo Car Group.

With Volvo Cars’ long held Vision 2020 the Swedish carmaker aims to deliver cars in which no one is seriously injured or killed by the year 2020. The new Volvo XC90’s five star results in Euro NCAP’s testing is a clear indication of Volvo Cars’ continued innovation with the ultimate goal of creating cars that do not crash.

 

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CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO

The creative collaboration between Swedish artist/producer Avicii and Volvo Cars for their new brand campaign features a reworking of the classic song Feeling Good. Filmed on location in Stockholm and Osterlen, southern Sweden, the video visits places of personal significance for Avicii and tells his own story of renewal, following several years of hard touring. The video also features members of his family and close friends.

“In the past six years I have been on a never-ending tour, apart for the last nine months during my time-out. I did around 325 shows in a year with traveling on top of that. It couldn’t continue. In the end I had to re-evaluate my situation and change my lifestyle. Sweden is an important place to me, it’s where I gather my strength and energy with family and friends. This whole process of re-evaluation and renewal is what Volvo encouraged me to visualise in the music video. I think we did a great job together,” said Avicii.

The song Feeling Good was initially picked as a proposal by Volvo Cars. The arrangement has been produced by Avicii, with Audra Mae on vocals.

“It’s great to work with Audra Mae again. She has a powerful and emotionally charged voice and is steeped in the folk and country music traditions. She most recently worked with me on the True album, taking some of her first steps into electronic music with the track Addicted To You. Audra’s soulful delivery breathes new life into this classic track. I’m very pleased with the result,” said Avicii.

The release of the music video, which features the new XC90, marks another step in Volvo Cars’ brand transformation and reflects a new direction for the Swedish luxury car maker.

“We were delighted to have the opportunity to work so closely with Avicii on this campaign, as it reflects something that is happening for both Avicii and for the Volvo Cars brand. We are entering a new era – a New Beginning, as we have called the campaign. We have gone through several years of intense investment and we have refined our brand. The result is a new, more nimble and customer-responsive Volvo Cars,” said Alain Visser, Senior Vice President Sales, Marketing & Customer Service at Volvo Car Group.

 

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Click here to download the brochure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Dr Trent Victor and Jonas Ekmark singled out by U.S. Government for Safety Engineering Excellence and Special Appreciation Awards
• Recognition builds further on Volvo Cars’ global reputation as a leader in car safety

Two of Volvo Cars’ top safety experts, Dr Trent Victor (Senior Technical Leader Crash Avoidance and Adjunct Professor at University of Iowa, US) and Jonas Ekmark (Manager Innovation for Active Safety and Chassis), have been recognised for their contributions in the field of car safety.

The awards, presented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the 24th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) in Gothenburg on June 8^th 2015, were in recognition and appreciation for extraordinary contributions in the field of motor vehicle safety.

“This award represents strong recognition of the importance of driver behaviour in reaching safety solutions for a crash-free future. It is an inspiration to all of us working on safety solutions at Volvo Cars. It emphasises our customer focus and further encourages our work in developing crash avoidance systems that are both coveted and highly effective at improving safe driving,” said Dr Victor.

Dr Victor, an internationally recognized safety expert, has worked in the field for over 20 years. In that time he has filed more than 20 patents and published over 60 papers on the subject while establishing a unique track record of applying behavioural science data to crash avoidance innovation. He is currently focusing on minimising the risks of inattention or distraction caused by infotainment systems using eye-movement monitoring, designing crash avoidance active safety systems and autonomous drive functionality. Dr Victor’s expertise in behavioural science also lends itself to a unique focus on naturalistic data – the human side of the safety equation – which fits seamlessly with Volvo’s focus on meeting and exceeding the needs of people in the car experience.

Jonas Ekmark, who has also demonstrated both imagination and foresight in his work in developing safety systems has a résumé full of world first inventions and applications that have gone a long way in further cementing Volvo Cars’ position as a global leader in car safety. Since 1994 Mr Ekmark has registered more than 30 patents in his work for Volvo Cars. His achievements include the development and application of auto braking systems aimed at either reducing or avoiding potential collisions. Initially his work focused on collisions with other vehicles, but that has now expanded to include pedestrians, cyclists and animals. Mr Ekmark also continues to play an important role in the development of autonomous drive system development and connectivity-based safety data sharing projects.

“I am really honoured and happy to receive this recognition for the work we do here at Volvo Cars. Our focus is, as ever, people. Our long-term vision is to design cars that do not crash. The development of self-driving technology is an important step towards that vision. Recent advances in technology and our consistent approach of basing our innovations on real-life safety situations are enabling us to redefine the in-car experience. Awards such as these let us know that we are capable of making a difference – and that is very satisfying,” said Jonas Ekmark, Manager Innovation for Active Safety and Chassis at Volvo Cars.

 

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Volvo Car Group’s (Volvo Cars) dedication to protecting the smallest and most vulnerable car occupants celebrates its 50-year anniversary in 2014. Volvo’s ground-breaking child safety work started when the company developed the world’s first rear-facing child seat prototype in a PV544 in 1964 – and the latest innovation is an Inflatable Child Seat Concept that is easily tucked away in a small bag when not in use.

The differences in anatomy between children and adults form the foundation for Volvo Cars’ child safety developments both in terms of integrated car features as well as accessories. Children are not small versions of adults, which is why children need special restraints when travelling in cars.

“The basic principle remains the same as fifty years ago. The smallest children must always travel facing the rear until the age of three to four. Older children should use a booster cushion or booster seat that ensures the lap belt is correctly fitted over the pelvis,” says Professor Lotta Jakobsson, Senior Technical Specialist at Volvo Cars Safety Centre.

*See related release regarding Volvo Cars Inflatable Child Seat Concept.

 

Below are some of the most important milestones in Volvo Cars’ child safety history:

1964    First child seat prototype

Inspired by how astronauts travel rearwards, Bertil Aldman, medical doctor and subsequently Professor in Traffic Safety at Chalmers University of Technology, developed the very first child seat prototype. Volvo was closely involved in the development and the testing was carried out in a Volvo PV544.

1967    Reversible front passenger seat with special child backrest

The first child seat to be sold to customers was created by turning the front passenger seat around. Adding a padded backrest with straps made sure that the rearward-facing child was kept in place. The solution was sold as an accessory for the recently introduced Volvo Amazon.

1972    Volvo’s first rearward-facing child seat

Rearward-facing child seats are designed to support the neck and help spread the force of a frontal impact over a larger area. Frontal impacts are the most frequent and usually the most severe impact situation.

1976    The booster cushion – a world first from Volvo

Children from three to four years and up travel facing forwards using the standard safety belt with a belt-positioning booster cushion. Volvo Cars’ policy is that children should use a booster cushion until they are 140 centimetres tall and ten years old. When using a booster cushion, the child runs an approximately 75 per cent lower risk of being injured than compared to being unrestrained.

1990    World’s first integrated booster cushion

The first integrated booster cushion was an ingenious fold down and out version in the rear centre position in the Volvo 960. Double integrated pop-up booster cushions in the outer rear seats were introduced in the Volvo S40 in 1995.

1999    World’s first rearward-facing seat for ISOFIX

The world-first solution for the standardised, car-integrated ISOFIX fittings was actually two rearward-facing seats in one. Both seats – one for infants and one for toddlers up to four years of age – could be fitted in the same ISOFIX frame.

2007    World’s first two-stage integrated booster cushion

Two-stage integrated booster cushions were introduced in the Volvo V70 estate. The two-stage version, with two sitting heights, enables a better belt fit regardless of the child’s size. Child adapted safety belt load limiters were also fitted.

2014    Inflatable Child Seat Concept

The innovation, which is still in the development stage, is easy to install and can be tucked away in a small bag when not in use. This means that the child seat can be easily transferred between cars and the bag even fits in carry-on luggage when flying or travelling.

 

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