The Volvo Xc90: the Safe Suv

A car's performance is not the only thing there is tothat covers all three rows of seating. Not to mention
consider when buying a vehicle. It is, of course,the pre-tensioning three-point seatbelts on all seats.
imperative that you go for the car with a greatOptional safety feature is the BLIS or Blindspot
handling capability, superior stability, and a fine off-roadInformation System that uses cameras mounted on
driving capability if you opt for a sports utility vehicle.the outside mirrors that warns the driver if a vehicle
But safety should not take a backseat to all thesehas entered his blindspot. These line of safety features
characteristics. A car's safety features should alsorivals those of its toughest competitors.
play a major part in the choice of a car. One carThe Volvo XC90 comes in different trim levels so as
manufacturer that comes to mind when safety isto suit the need of any costumer. The choice of
mentioned is, of course, that Ford Motor Co. ownedengines starts with the base model which employs a
Sweden-based outfit, Volvo. They have been known3.2-liter in-line six-cylinder engine to the Sport version
for years to produce safe cars no matter whatwhich offers a V8 engine. This engine is the first V8
segment of the market they are competing in.engine that the company has employed in its long
One of their recent success stories is their sturdyhistory. The six-cylinder engine gives out 235
sports utility vehicle in the form of the Volvo XC90.horsepower and to increase its fuel economy, it
This tough SUV is one of their best-selling models outemploys a variable cam timing and cam-profile
in the market today. The car's strong selling point is, ofswitching which allows the intake valves to open at
course, its safety features that only Volvo vehiclesdifferent heights depending on the power demand
can offer. In fact, the sports utility vehicle earned goodwhile the 4.4-liter V8 engine produces 311 horsepower.
ratings on the safety tests posed on it by theAll these power from the engine, be it from the in-line
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Testsor the V8 engine, gets through to all the wheels via a
include front crashes at 40 miles per hour, sidewide array of high performance Volvo XC90 parts
crashes at 31 miles per hour, and rear crashes at 20that are known to be precision engineered and also
miles per hour.much popularized because of their reliability.
The Volvo XC90 is one of just 13 vehicles to be ratedThe sports utility vehicle has amazing off-road driving
"Top Safety Pick" of the said institute. The third testcredentials that make it a top choice for the generation
posed by the institute to the car shows that it canthat would like to trek the outdoors onboard their
protect the third row seats that are normally reservedSUVs. While a large part of the American car buyers
for children.are turning their back on the SUV market due to the
The safety rating of the car comes as no surpriseincreasing prices of petroleum products, the Volvo
given its wide array of safety features that are aXC90's fuel economy is not so bad compared to
given for nay Volvo models. The Volvo XC90 has theother vehicles in its class. That fact and the safety and
standard safety features like the antilock brakecomfort that the vehicle offers makes the XC90
system, an electronic rollover prevention system, andVolvo's top seller in the US market with a young buyer
stability and traction control. It also comes with abase at an average of 44 years old.
complete lineup of airbags, including side curtain airbags