Volvo says its safety is beyond stars

Volvo Australia chief Alan Desselss says crash rating authorities need to keep up with vehicle advances, if they are to accurately represent real world results. Speaking at the recent local XC60 launch, Desselss called in question the veracity of an NCAP and ANCAP system that capped vehicle results at a standardised five-star rating, stating the current regime was "too simplistic".

"When most manufacturers are already achieving five stars, you have to take your testing to the next level," Desselss asserted.

"They [NCAP and ANCAP] need to further the quest for safe motor vehicles. Things like rear impact crash testing -- all the different kinds of crash testing that happen [as part of manufacturer programs] at the moment need to be taken into account," he said.

Desselss says Volvo's message of "safety beyond the stars" was a demonstration of the company's commitment to real world safety.

He commented that technologies like Volvo's City Safety system and autonomous braking systems linked to cruise control were unable to be accessed in NCAP-style systems. Indeed, he even called into question the "tick-box" stability control requirement for five stars under the existing acknowledged crash test rating regimes.

"When it becomes a tick-box exercise [to gain five stars] you're starting to lose some of the more serious discussion around safety.

"We have to push campaigns to make sure they [NCAP and the like] become more comprehensive in how they do their testing. It's a good goal [to build safer cars] but you have to be serious about it," he said.

Desselss said Volvo would stop short of campaigning against NCAP or ANCAP but that the company would not quote five-star ratings (local or international) in its marketing campaigns Down Under. He said, however, market forces dictated car companies continued to have their vehicles rated by the European NCAP program.

"I don't think any of us are brave enough to break the mold [and leave the NCAP system]," he said.

"It's not our intention to fight [the NCAP/ANCAP rating system] but it is our intention to market to people and inform them to become more discerning [about safety claims] and ask more questions," the Volvo Australia boss stated.

Volvo Australia says the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash testing program which includes rear impact testing is more comprehensive than the current NCAP regime.

Marketing Director, Matt Braid, commented: "It's a more comprehensive [testing regime] and even that's got a fair way to go. It's not perfect but there are more testing parameters."

He stopped short, however, of saying Australia should adopt the program.

"I'm reluctant to say so [categorically]. But the more comprehensive the safety testing, the more positive we would see it," he said.