Volvo Cars is seeking to restore its reputation for car safety with its new high-end XC90 sport utility vehicle in Korea, a global battlefield for luxury cars.

Last Thursday, the Korean unit of the Swedish luxury carmaker hosted a seminar with a safety specialist from its headquarters to elaborate on the safety features of the new XC90. 

The seminar also highlighted Volvo’s 2020 vision for safety to Korean customers. Volvo seeks to reduce causalities caused by its vehicles to zero by 2020.

“The starting point of Volvo’s safety is its safety belt,” said Dr. Lotta Jakobsson, a senior technical specialist on injury prevention at Volvo Cars, highlighting the company’s long history of safety belt development.

Volvo invented the widely used three-point safety belt back in 1959 and released the patent to other companies to hasten adoption of the safety technology.

“The safety requirements for Volvo vehicles are way beyond the requirements given by governments,” Jakobsson added.

As the chair of the International Organization for Standardization on Child Restraint, she also presented on how much Volvo cares about the safety of children in vehicles.

“Volvo cars provide child safety manuals in different languages for our customers. It’s an easy access for the parents,” Jakobsson said.

With safety features for children in mind, Jakobsson highlighted Volvo’s rear-facing car seat technology.

“Rearward facing is the way to save the small child. It is far safer than forward facing,” she said.

Following the seminar, Volvo Car Korea said it will strengthen its communication with local customers on safety issues.

During the seminar, Jakobsson highlighted the state-of-the-art safety features of the SUV, saying, “The all new XC90 is Volvo’s safest car, equipped with the most comprehensive safety features since we put our collected knowledge into the development.”

By Hong Sung-pyo (hong1@heraldcorp.com)