The Volvo C70 was recently given the Top Safety Pick award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The C70 is Volvo's entry into the convertible segment of the auto market. The IIHS gave the distinction to the C70 because of its good scores in front, rear, and side crash tests. The convertible is also equipped with an electronic stability program (ESP) which is a requirement for a vehicle to be given the Top Safety Pick distinction.The award was made possible by Volvo's dedication to building safe cars under their Safety Inside, Safety Outside policy. The said strategy made the C70 an exemplary vehicle in terms of safety. Since its introduction in the U.S market in 2006, the convertible has already set the standard in vehicle safety. It is loaded with safety features designed specially for a convertible. This host of safety features includes the Inflatable Curtain which is designed to protect the occupants of the vehicle in cases of side collisions.
The Safety Inside strategy used by Volvo in the C70 includes safety features designed to protect the vehicle's occupants during crashes. The Inflatable Curtain (IC) is the most notable Safety Inside feature that the C70 boasts of. The side curtain airbags are mounted on the door since placing it on the roof panel is impractical and the side curtain airbags will be useless once the roof is lowered.
According to Volvo, the IC can adequately protect the upper extremities of a human body. It is also designed to deflate slowly as an added protection to the occupants of the vehicle should the vehicle roll over.
Front seat passengers are also protected with side curtain airbags which is designed to cover the hip and chest areas of the person sitting in the front passenger seat. The side impact airbags complements the pretensioner seatbelts. All four seats of the C70 are equipped with pretensioning seatbelts.
As far as Safety Outside is concerned, the C70 is designed with the same car architecture as the S40. The Volvo C70 is built with different grades of steel to maximize the amount of energy to be absorbed during collisions. The effectiveness of this vehicle architecture technology is proven by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when it gave the C70 a "good" rating in frontal crash protection.
Not only is the Volvo C70 safe from front collision, it is also designed to protect its occupants properly in cases of rear collision. According to Volvo, the C70 is equipped with a large horseshoe-shaped member found directly behind the rear seats. This component according to the Swedish car manufacturer is responsible in absorbing the impact from rear collision.
To increase the protection of the occupants of the C70 in cases of rear end collision, the C70 is equipped with the Rollover Protection System popup bars. These are deployed behind the head of the passengers and the drivers. The aim of this safety feature is to protect the occupants from being hit by flying objects from the rear of the car.
These safety features complements the various engine and other automotive system components such as the Volvo valve cover gasket to make the C70 a strong competitor in its segment.
About the Author
Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit, Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.