Safety no longer an option with Volvo

IntelliSafe Assist, comprising adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, lane departure mitigation and a forward collision warning, was previously available as a $2600 option or as part of a $4000 driver assistance package.

Leaving these off the standard equipment list enabled the XC90 to be positioned with a lower entry price ($89,950), but initial sales were impacted as buyers waited for cars to arrive with the full suite of safety kit on-board.

“We learned (with XC90) that, at this level, buyers wanted all the safety technology we had available”, said Volvo Australia Director of PR and Corporate Communications, Greg Bosnich. “It meant our sales got off to a slower than expected start.”

The new Volvo S90 sedan, which launches locally this week, now comes with this safety tech as standard on all models. Volvo is launching the range from the top down, with high-specification Inscription models filling showrooms before the ‘entry’ level Momentum trim arrives next month.

“Early buyers tend to want fully-equipped cars, so we have learned from what the XC90 roll out taught us,” said Bosnich.

Volvo Australia noted that upwards of 70 per cent of XC90 buyers opted for the IntelliSafe technology option, and so it has been included in the MY17 update of the luxury SUV.

Safety is not the only update for the XC90 SUV, either, with a second USB port to help support smartphone integration and the addition of the ultra-luxury four-seat Excellence variant to the line-up.

CarAdvice will bring you more details of the 2017 Volvo XC90 range as it becomes available.

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