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Volvo Steps Into Crossover Market


Topics:  Volvo XC60

Volvo Steps Into Crossover Market

Anthony Fontanelle
February 22, 2008

The crossover class is the hottest one in the United States auto market. This is because crossovers combine the large interior of SUVs with the handling dynamics and fuel efficiency of small cars.

Skyrocketing gas prices has forced consumers to forgo purchasing a large SUV or a pickup truck. But with crossovers, consumer can have the next best thing to a SUV. Thus, it is not surprising that automakers are coming up with their own crossover models.

Swedish automaker Volvo recently announced the arrival of the Volvo XC60 in the competitive market. The XC60 has the toughness that the XC90 is known for. This is coupled with a sporty appearance and performance commonly found on smaller cars.

Volvo Cars Design chief Steve Mattin said that this the most energized vehicle in the automaker's lineup. "This car is charged with more emotive form and more energy than any other Volvo. We’re elevating our design DNA to an entirely new level by literally turning up the visual volume," said Mattin.

Mattin also pointed out that the XC60 is designed to radiate its sleekness even from a distance. "If you say that you’d recognise a Volvo from a hundred metres away today, I dare say the XC60 radiates a clear Volvo presence from at least twice that distance," enthused Mattin.

Being a Volvo, it is expected that the XC60 will be filled with safety features. In the eighty years of Volvo, it has been developing safety feature after safety feature. Volvo vehicle have been known the world over for having these safety features. The XC60 is not an exception.

According to the automaker, one of the most advanced safety features of the XC60 is the City Safety. This safety feature helps drivers avoid accident during low-speed driving which happens usually during city driving.

"We are the first manufacturer in the world to offer this type of feature as standard. City Safety clearly shows that the new Volvo XC60 is the safest car Volvo has ever produced. The car is packed with our accumulated safety know-how and technology, both when it comes to preventing accidents and protecting all the occupants in a collision," said Volvo Chief Executive Officer and President Fredrik Arp.

Arp also said that the sporty appearance of the XC60 merits it a place in a garage of someone who already owns a Volvo C30. "One might say that this could be the C30 owner’s next car. It’s as sporty and exciting, but more capable. With the Volvo XC60, we are widening our model range to attract even more customers with an active urban lifestyle," impressed Arp.

Apart from the safety features of the XC60, it is also equipped with reliable auto parts such as those used on other Volvo models including the Volvo 850 radiator.




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