The Volvo XC60 has ranked highest in the medium SUV segment in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates quality survey.
2011 has started on an exhilarating note for Volvo Car South Africa. With the superb all-new Volvo S60 now on sale countrywide, the gorgeous new V60 due for launch in February, brand-new VCSA offices in Irene, and now yet another award for the Volvo XC60 – the J.D. Power and Associates Quality Survey award – VCSA is looking forward to an extremely successful year.
Brian Walters, Vice President European Operations J.D Power and Associates handed the trophy for the Volvo XC60’s achievement to Bram van der Reep, MD Volvo Car South Africa.
According to Bram, “This is an extremely important acknowledgement for the Volvo XC60 as well as Volvo Car South Africa as a whole. Because the feedback comes from vehicle owners, our clients, it is fantastic to hear that they are so satisfied and happy with their XC60’s. We are extremely proud of the XC60, and this award has just made us even more excited to see what the reaction will be to our all-new Volvo S60.”
About the J.D. Power and Associates Quality Survey
The 2010 South Africa Initial Quality Study is based on a representative sample of more than 7 700 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles between November 2009 and June 2010. The study was funded entirely by J.D. Power and Associates as part of its global research programs, in co-operation with the Department of Transport (DOT) and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), and includes a section of questions to assist the authorities in measuring the performance of its vehicle and drivers licensing program.
“The improvement in new-vehicle quality is due to a combination of widespread improvement in existing models and the phasing out of old designs that had lower levels of initial quality,” said Brian Walters, vice president of J.D. Power and Associates Europe and Africa research operations.
About the Volvo XC60
The Volvo XC60 represents a benchmark in many respects: It displays a dramatic and exciting new Volvo design approach, and it blends classic Volvo attributes of comfort and functionality with dynamic road-holding and stability that makes it a sporty, desirable competitor in the segment for compact SUVs.
The XC60’s chassis setting is aggressively sporty with excellent driving dynamics, but without losing anything in terms of comfort. Sitting behind the wheel of the new Volvo XC60 is, in other words, more of a car-like driving experience, without diminishing the Cross Country abilities that make the XC60 such a versatile vehicle.
The biggest single new feature in the XC60 is probably City Safety – a revolutionary system that will stop the car by itself to help the driver avoid or reduce the effects of the type of low-speed impacts that are common in city traffic and traffic tailbacks.
City Safety brakes the car automatically if the driver is about to drive into the vehicle in front. A collision can either thus be entirely avoided or if this is not possible, damage to cars and personal injuries can be reduced.
City Safety is active at speeds of up to 30 km/h. If the vehicle in front brakes suddenly and City Safety determines that a collision is likely, the brakes are pre-charged. If the driver remains inactive, the car applies the brakes automatically. If the relative speed difference between the two vehicles is less than 15 km/h then City Safety may help the driver entirely avoid the collision. Between 15 and 30 km/h the focus is on reducing speed as much as possible prior to the impact.
City Safety keeps an eye on traffic in front with the help of a laser sensor that is integrated into the top of the windscreen at the height of the rear-view mirror. It can detect vehicles and other objects up to 10 m in front of the car’s front bumper.