The S60 is suddenly braking when it finds a pedestrian ahead with the Volvo Safety Specs IntelliSafe. Photo = Reporter Oh Se-sung and Hankyung.com
Recently, a black box video made online has become a hot topic. In the video, a Volvo car wears black clothes at night and avoids pedestrians crossing by itself. When the video was shared, some netizens raised doubts about whether the driver was steering it. However, when a reporter demonstrated some accidents with the Volvo S60, it was possible to see the vehicle intervening in steering and braking and avoiding the accident.
The test drive used in the demonstration is the Volvo S60 B5 Inscription Trim, a midsize sports sedan launched last year. The appearance is no different from the 3rd generation S60 T5 released in 2019. Only the emblem design of the front grill has changed slightly. The biggest difference between the S60 T5 and the S60 B5 launched last year is the powertrain. The existing model’s pure internal combustion engine was replaced with a mild hybrid (MHEV) powertrain that assists in starting, accelerating and restarting with 48V batteries.
The mid-size sedan S60 B5, introduced by Volvo last year. Photo = Reporter Oh Se-sung and Hankyung.com
Power performance is no different. The maximum output was 250 horsepower, which was 4 horsepower less than the previous one, but I could not feel it. The maximum torque is 35.7kg·m, which is the same as the previous model. At the same time, fuel economy was increased by 0.8km/L and emissions were reduced by 13.0g/km. It means that you can enjoy the same drivability more economically and eco-friendly. In addition, a crystal gear knob, completed in collaboration with Orepos, Sweden, was applied to the inscription trim. There is no special function in the crystal gear knob, but the appearance that glitters in the light provides high visual satisfaction.
The new S60 also comes standard with Volvo’s new safety option, the Care Key. It is a function that prevents accidents caused by speeding by the driver setting the maximum speed of the vehicle as needed. In addition, the vehicle’s maximum speed was also limited to 180 km/h from 240 km/h. No matter how much the accelerator pedal is pressed, the speed does not rise further within 180km/h.
Volvo S60 B5 interior view. Except for the gear knob, it is difficult to find a difference from the previous model. Photo = Reporter Oh Se-sung and Hankyung.com
The Bowers & Wilkins audio sound system has also been changed from a yellow Kevlar cone, which was in charge of the existing midrange, to a continuum cone that implements a mechanical resonance state. However, the sound system of the Volvo S60 provided high satisfaction that exceeded the level of car audio, so it was difficult to feel a big change. The vehicle price is 54.1 million won, an increase of 500,000 won compared to the previous version based on inscription.
The biggest attraction of Volvo cars is that they are equipped with the same safety specification, IntelliSafe, regardless of model or trim difference. IntelliSafe consists of △City Safety, an emergency braking and steering system, △Collision avoidance support △Semi-autonomous driver pilot assist II △Road departure protection system △Active high beam control. In this test drive, the city safety and road departure protection system operated in the hot black box video were demonstrated.
Pedestrians are crossing in front of a Volvo car driving on the road at a late hour. Photo = Club New Volvo
City Safety is a function that avoids accidents by recognizing cars, pedestrians, bicycles, and large animals at a speed of 50 to 100 km/h. It warns the driver of a dangerous situation and if there is no driver reaction, the vehicle intervenes in steering and braking. The road departure protection system protects the occupants by tightening the seat belt strongly and operating the shock absorber in situations where an accident is expected, emergency evacuation or sudden braking, etc.
The function demonstration consisted of three parts: △ emergency braking that recognizes the vehicle in front, △ emergency braking that recognizes a pedestrian, and an evasive maneuver that recognizes the pedestrian. The operating speed of City Safety is known to be 50-100km/h, but through preliminary testing, it was confirmed that it operates at a slightly lower speed, and the vehicle speed was adjusted to around 40km/h per hour in accordance with the government’s’Safe Speed 3050′ policy. .
First, the vehicle was parked in the middle of a controlled road, and the S60 driver neglected to look forward and collided backwards. After speeding up the vehicle to eliminate driver reaction so that the function works smoothly, the steering wheel was also removed.
As it got closer to the vehicle in front, the S60 flashed a red warning light through the head-up display and then braked suddenly. Compared to braking by pressing the brake pedal directly by the driver, a stronger and faster braking was achieved. There was a sound like the wheels being locked, and at the same time, the seat belts were tightened very quickly and firmly to protect the driver. This is to prevent injury by attaching the body to the seat as much as possible.
The Volvo S60, which was running while maintaining the center of the lane, found a pedestrian crossing without permission, invading the center line and evading it. Photo = Reporter Oh Se-sung and Hankyung.com
Next, the reporter changed the subject and stood directly in front of the vehicle path. The vehicle, which had been moved away on a straight line, quickly accelerated and ran in front of the reporter. When I saw a junior reporter shining in my eyes in a fast approaching vehicle, I felt a threat of life. However, the vehicle suddenly braked and stopped just before the crash. A junior reporter who sat in the driver’s seat suddenly stopped and groaned against the fastening seat belt.
Lastly, it produced a situation of unauthorized crossing, such as a black box video. Recognizing that the driver wasn’t responding even when the reporter entered the lane, the S60 avoided a crash by turning the steering wheel slightly. Due to the fact that the driving speed was not fast, the steering was not made as sharp as in the black box video, but you can see the vehicle that was going straight in the lane avoiding sideways and stepping on the center line.
Through a simple driving test, it was confirmed that Volvo’s IntelliSafe is actively intervening to avoid accidents in various situations. With the addition of Volvo’s IntelliSafe while the driver follows the safety rules, it is expected that a safer driving will be possible.
Marlin Eckholm, Vice President of the Volvo Safety Center, said, “Our goal is to be comfortable and confident enough that customers don’t have to think about safety in a Volvo car.”
Sesung Oh, reporter of Hankyung.com [email protected]
Video = Yoo Chae-young, reporter Hankyung.com [email protected]
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