Volvo XC60 is 2017’s overall safest car in Euro NCAP testing
Volvo Cars’ XC60 has been crowned the best-performing large off- roader and the car with the best overall performance of 2017 in the prestigious Euro NCAP 2017 Best in Class safety awards. Te XC60 scored a near-perfect 98 per cent in the Adult Occupant category, and in its Large Off-Road class it showed a clear advantage in Safety Assist with a score of 95 per cent – 20 percentage points higher than the nearest Large Off- Road competitor – underlining Volvo Cars’ position as a leader in
automotive safety. “Te new XC60 is one of the safest Volvo cars ever made,” said Malin Ekholm, Vice President, Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “It is fully loaded with new technology designed to assist drivers, to help protect vehicle occupants and other road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, plus mitigate collision risks. We are proud that our ongoing commitment to innovating new safety features has been recognised with another Euro NCAP Best in Class award for Volvo Cars.”
Te Euro NCAP award for the XC60 follows in the tracks of Volvo Cars’ XC90, which in 2015 was also named the best-performing large off-roader, and the car with the best overall performance that year. Volvo Cars’ V40 is another previous Euro NCAP winner, in the Small Family class. “Our vision is that by 2020 no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car,” said Malin Ekholm. “Te achievements of the XC60 are examples of our commitment to developing the latest safety and support systems as we strive towards that vision.” Te XC60 also joins the S90 and V90 in making history for Volvo Cars as the first manufacturer to hold the top three car rankings in Euro NCAP’s Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) tests – AEB City, AEB Inter- Urban and AEB Pedestrian. Te three Volvo cars are the only cars to have achieved perfect scores in all three AEB categories.
Seventy one per cent of British drivers still want to be able
to drive even if self-driving cars become commonplace WITH the recent announcements about investment in driverless cars there is one automotive manufacturer which thinks differently. Mazda research carried out by Ipsos MORI reveals that the joy of driving is alive and well in the UK, with 71% of people surveyed saying they would still want to drive, even with self-driving technology available, whilst only 29% actively welcome the arrival of autonomous vehicles. Mazda believes driving is a skill that people want to keep, it is an activity that can be fun as well as functional and many would like to see this skill retained for future generations. The Mazda view is that autonomous driving technology should act as a co-pilot, available when needed to avoid accidents, but with the driver in control of the driving process allowing the pure exhilaration of driving and the freedom it represents to be experienced by our customers. The research – which was commissioned as part of Mazda’s Drive Together campaign –polled 11,008 adults across key European markets, including 1,002 in the UK, and reveals that across those countries an average of 66% of drivers wanted to remain behind the wheel even if self- driving cars become widely available. Interestingly, there is no evidence of greater support for self-driving cars in younger age groups across Europe: for example 18-24 year olds (33%) were no more likely to welcome self-driving cars than 25-34 year olds (36%) or 35-44 year olds (34%).
The research also reveals a significant emotional connection between car and driver as demonstrated by the following statistics: 70% of drivers questioned in the UK “hope that future generations will continue to have the
option to drive cars”, while 62% of respondents stated that they have driven “just for fun” and 81% of those who enjoy driving saying it is because it “gives them independence”. In addition 55% stated that driving is about much more than just getting from A to B and 39% agree driving is in danger of becoming a “forgotten pleasure”. Mazda UK Managing Director Jeremy Thomson said, “It’s heartening to see that so many British drivers still love driving – yes, self-driving cars are coming and yes they have a role to play, but for us, there is nothing quite like the physical pleasure of driving; the quickening of the pulse, the racing of the heart, the open road, the special moments to treasure and share”. “At Mazda we believe in putting the driver at the heart of everything we do and our current ‘Drive Together’ campaign focuses on the bond between car and driver. We call this Jinba Ittai, which is the Japanese phrase used to describe the perfect harmony between horse and rider. It is this human-centric philosophy that underpins our business and helps us create cars that bring the driver and their car closer together”. “Our aim is a motorised society free of traffic accidents, and we will help achieve this by continuing to advance the safety fundamentals – driving position, pedal layout, visibility and our Active Driving Display, and we will also continuously develop, update and make standard our advanced safety features”. Further findings from the research show that 54% of Europeans questioned have been for a drive “just for fun”, whilst 55% agree driving with family or friends can be a “special experience”, while in Spain, Italy, Sweden and
24 - Friday 2nd February 2018 - Cardiff & South Wales Advertiser
2021 CO2 targets unachievable
without diesel powered vehicles Vehicle data expert cap hpi is warning that
a
clampdown on diesel vehicles could result in the UK missing European environmental targets. Experts from the company, who have authored a new report which looks at the recent issues around diesel, say there is a real danger that the EU’s 2021
environmental targets could be missed if the percentage of diesel vehicles continues to decline on UK roads. The report points out that some of the environmental criticism of diesel vehicles is misguided. Matt Freeman, managing consultant at cap hpi and the report’s author, commented that without continuing sales of diesel engine cars, this target reduction is unachievable: “Hitting the 2021 environmental targets for CO2 reduction would be a significant challenge without the likely decline in diesel. Therefore it is imperative that diesels continue to command a substantial share of the new car marketplace. “If consumers, with no option of transitioning to hybrid or EVs, switch to petrol the environmental impact is clear - their CO2 emissions would likely rise between 3% and 23% according to model.”
cap hpi predicts that even if consumers decided to change over wholesale to electric cars in the next few years, there is not sufficient manufacturing capacity in place for this to happen. Furthermore, there is not enough battery production capacity, although manufacturers are investing to address the gap. Diesel engines remain a powertrain option and innovations which ensure they continue to offer high fuel economy, low CO2 and improvements to other emissions will be key. The report argues consumer education is key as there is an apparent risk that consumers are being led to believe that ‘all diesel is bad’ and that any suggestion that there is a good diesel option is due to the automotive industry seeking to resist change and preserve the status quo. This level of miscommunication needs to be countered if diesel is to have a short- to medium-term future. Read the full report at
www.cap-hpi.com/dieselreport
Poland this figure rises to more than six in ten drivers. Comparisons with other activities are also revealing with 37% preferring driving for fun to computer games, 23% choosing driving compared to a drink in a bar or playing sports, with the latter as high as 37% in the UK.
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