2014 Volvo XC90 to get a raft of new safety technology

The 2014 Volvo XC90 (pictured) will get a whole raft of new safety technology

We know that the Volvo XC90 will be replaced (finally) next year with a new XC90 using Volvo’s new SPA platform and powered by their new range of 4-cylinder, high efficiency engines.

We’ve also got a clue or two about how the new XC90 will look thanks to a design exercise by Volvo’s designers in 2011 to create their vision of the next generation XC90. Now we get details of some of the technology we can expect in the new XC90 as Volvo works towards their target of making sure no one gets killed in a Volvo involved in an accident by 2020.

On this list is Pedestrian Detection in the dark, a world first that means your Volvo will be able to detect pedestrians even when you’re driving down a country lane at night (as well as other vehicles and animals) and use auto brake to avoid a collision.

Volvo has also developed technology to detect where the road physically ends, so the new XC90 will get Road Edge and Barrier Detection with steer assist, so if you doze off or start to wander towards the central reservation barrier the car will apply steering torque to keep you on course.

There’s also Adaptive Cruise Control with steer assist  that helps drivers stay in their lane and follow the rhythm of the traffic, animal detection (day and night) and the Autonomous Parking we featured a week or two ago.

It’s all very clever stuff, and if the new XC90 when it arrives is half as ground breaking as the last XC90 was in 2002, and offers clever utilisation of space, a dynamic drive and decent looks in addition to the new Volvo safety features, it could be a game changer.

By Cars UK