SAFETY | 10 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
‘Good,’ frontal offset; ‘good,’ side impact, ‘good,’ rear impact; 'good,' roof strength; Top Safety Pick
IIHS
Not yet rated
NHTSA
Safety has become one of the top priorities for shoppers in recent years, while better crash testing and federally mandated features have helped make vehicles safer than ever. Yet Volvo was carrying the safety torch decades ago, long before it was common.
So what separates Volvo models like the XC90 today? You can be sure that the XC90's structure and features as as protective as its rivals, if not better, and even though this is hardly a fresh design Volvo has made sure that there's an impressive set of safety features—including front side and side curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist, stability and traction control, roll-stability control, rollover mitigation, and finally, rear park assist. The Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), which warns of vehicles in the blind spot by flashing indicator lights within the cabin, is available.
While neither of the major crash-testing agencies have extended 2012 results officially to the 2013 model at the time of posting, it's likely that this model's IIHS Top Safety Pick status will be extended. And although the federal government still hasn't tested the XC90 under its revised test method, the XC90 had received top five-star results previously.
Conclusion
Nevertheless, there’s little doubt that the Volvo XC90 is not only one of the safest vehicles in its class but perhaps even in the new car market.
