Volvo’s award-winning safety innovations could very well be the biggest draw for the legions of loyal Dallas Volvo owners. The 2013 line of Volvo vehicles offers an impressive collection of advanced features that blends technology with safety, while enrobing these vital components in bold and striking design. While there may be too many excellent features to list for Volvo enthusiasts, here are the main highlights.
ROLL STABILITY CONTROL: Standard in the XC60 Volvo SUV, Roll Stability Control uses a gyroscope to determine the vehicle’s body angle and automatically activates pre-tensioners on each seat belt and then inflates a protective curtain when a rollover is detected. While Volvo prides itself on how each of their vehicles can command a curve with a tight hug, this feature might provide the driver and passengers with the most security of any other feature in the 2013 Volvo.
HILL DESCENT CONTROL: Also standard in the XC60 SUV, the brake system of the vehicle is used to automatically control the vehicle’s wheel speed while heading down steep grades. If you sense a trend here already, you’re right-on. Volvo isn’t a carmaker who will simply allow its reputation for safety to become stale. Added features which build greater security are far more vital than even the most striking design.
DYNAMIC STABILITY and TRACTION CONTROL: Comparing the rotation of the drive wheels is the key function for the DSTC in your 2013 Volvo. Ensuring balance throughout the car as it drives on an array of surfaces, especially slippery ones; loss of traction can be detected and then avoided while the vehicle’s anti-spin control, which can be disabled when needed, rounds-out the dynamic nature of the Volvo’s dependably controlled stability.
FOUR WHEEL ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: The key to a safe car that that can maintain control when conditions are rough, are brakes that will do what the driver needs them to do in an urgently important moment. Hydraulic Brake Assist comes through when a stop is needed immediately, while Ready Alert Brakes know when to move the brake pads closer to the discs as they anticipate the need for a stop.
BLIND SPOT INFORMATION SYSTEM: When you find yourself in thick traffic, or perhaps quickly moving traffic, help with the driver’s blind-spot is a necessity that many vehicles simply do not address. Using rear-facing digital cameras installed in the door mirrors, the system monitors the traffic on either side of the car. As a vehicle enters the driver’s blind spot, the system helps alert the driver with a lamp built into the front door post on the approaching side of the car. Together with the door mirrors, this helps enable the driver to quickly decide if a lane change is safe. The system is automatically activated once the car exceeds six mph, and it reacts to nearly any type of motor vehicle, working equally well, day or night.
PARK ASSIST CAMERA, FRONT-BLIND VIEW: External cameras aren’t just for the rear view anymore, and blind-spot protection isn’t merely for the sides of your car either. Allowing you to see around corners, this new camera is located in the grille to give you a 180° field of vision of the area in front of your car. The driver can even activate the camera with a push of a button to get a split-image view in the seven inch integrated driver’s information screen. This assistance is very convenient in tight exits with limited visibility and while parking. In a luxurious marriage of sight and sound, The Park Assist Camera is available with the High-performance Sound System or the Premium Sound System.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL: Adaptive Cruise Control is designed for use in smooth traffic and can be activated at speeds over 18 mph. All that the driver needs to do is to select the desired speed and the minimum time gap to the vehicle in front of the Volvo. When the radar sensor detects a slower vehicle ahead, the speed automatically adapts to that vehicle. In slow moving city traffic, the new Queue Assist function automatically adapts your speed to the vehicle in front of you.
LANE DEPARTURE WARNING: In what might be the most intelligent safety feature of the last several years, the Lane Departure Warning might be as responsible for saving the life of a Volvo driver and the passengers more than any other feature. This function signals the driver when the car crosses road markings without obvious reason. The system is designed to address the risk of accidents caused by driver distraction. It’s designed for when the Volvo is driving on major roads and highways. The system operates at speeds exceeding 40 mph when there are detectable lane markers in front of the vehicle. For years, drivers heading back to Dallas from a weekend in Austin have had to rely solely on energy drinks and the divots on the side of the freeway to help disaster from occurring. Now, there’s another, more dependable safety measure in place for the Volvo owner.
Be sure to stop by your Park Place Volvo located on Inwood in Dallas and see one of our Volvo experts for more details on experiencing excellence in a new 2013 Volvo.