Volvo's new compact offroader - safe but not that compact

Bigger than we all expected, and packed full of safety kit, Volvo is calling its new XC60 softroader its safest car ever. Unveiled at Geneva show, the XC60 is built to take on the likes of BMW's X3 and its 'twin under the skin', the Land Rover Freelander II.

It's no littlie, however, at 4628mm it's longer than both the Beemer and Landie and is just 7mm narrower than its XC90 big brother. Height-wise it sits between X3 and Freelander II. On first impressions, it dwarfs VW's soon-for-Oz Tiguan.

Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp nominated the high-ride five-seater as the perfect vehicle for the "C30 owner who's grown out of their car".

Volvo says the new XC combines the muscular capability of an XC and the "sporty charisma of a coupe".

"This is not only the safest Volvo ever -- it's also the most stunning," Arp enthused to the show crowd at Geneva.

Built at Volvo's production facility at Ghent in Belgium, the car will go on sale in Europe in the second half of 2008 and in early 2009 in the USA. Volvo Australia spokesperson, Laurissa Mirabelli told the Carsales Network, the XC60 is "still a way off" for Australia.

Two engine options are likely to make it Down Under: a six-cylinder 3.0-litre 210kW turbo petrol range-topper and a more pedestrian, but torquey 136kW/400Nm 2.4-litre turbodiesel five-cylinder.

The XC60 features a Haldex-based electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system that the company claims can distribute drive "at lightning speed". However, CEO Arp revealed a front-wheel-drive-only version of the vehicle would go on sale in Europe in 2009.

"Owing to its compact dimensions -- the XC60 is 20cm shorter than the XC70 and lower than the XC90 -- it continues our range of slimmed-down car models with high energy efficiency. During 2009, we will offer a front-wheel driven 2.4-litre version powered by a Euro V [compatible] diesel engine with a CO2 target around 170g/km," he said.

According to Volvo, the 'Small Premium Utility' segment, which the XC60 targets, is growing quickly internationally. Within the next few years, buyers will have at least 10 crossover models to choose from, the company asserts, and by next year the segment will expand 75 per cent to an estimated 440,000 units annually.

Volvo is trumpeting the safety credentials of the car. In addition to updated stability control and roll mitigation systems, the XC60 features active cruise control and a trailer assist function, senses driver fatigue and includes other active safety aids including blind-spot warning and lane departure systems.

The newest addition to the armoury is City Safety -- a system that warns the driver of imminent low-speed collisions and, if the driver fails to take action, automatically applies the brakes. The XC60 also features Collision Warning and Auto Braking, a similar system that works at higher speed in conjunction with active cruise control.

Said Arp: "Volvo is the first in the world to offer this type of feature as standard. City Safety clearly signals that the new XC60 is the safest car Volvo has ever produced."

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