The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Detroit, U.S has recently made some safety tests and the results revealed that the Acura RL, Kia Amanti, and the Volvo S80 received the highest safety rating.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Cadillac STS also performed well during the tests and so earned the second highest rating. Unfortunately, the 2008 BMW 5 Series did not do so well and so got the worst scores in the new side-impact crash tests of luxury sedans made by the U.S insurance industry.

Aside from being ranked highest for the safety rating, with the help of quality Volvo auto parts such as the Volvo bumpers and with the help of Volvo brakes, the Volvo S80 also won the overall crash protection. This award is due to Volvo S80 getting the highest scores in front, side, and rear crash tests and because of its electronic stability control being a standard equipment. This standard equipment assists in preventing vehicles from rollovers in the event of a crash.

Greg Maruszewski, the Regional Managing Director of Volvo Cars Middle East, said, “Volvo’s safety has long been recognized, but it is really rewarding to see that our efforts in making our range of vehicles ever safer have been proven yet again, especially when comparing to other premium brands. I believe that safety will play a bigger and bigger role in the buyer’s mind in this region and they have the assurance that Volvo cars are not only safe , as proven in this test , but also an exciting alternative when looking for a premium car .”

The institution said that the tests were designed to show the consequences of an SUV crashing on the side of a sedan at the speed of a serious crash which is around 50km/h. side crash tests are important because this type of crash is the most likely aftermath of a frontal crash. According to the institute, side crashes have already killed 9,000 people in the roads of U.S just in 2005.

The President of the institute said, “Growing sales of SUVs and pickups have exacerbated height mismatches among passenger vehicles, thereby increasing the risks to occupants of many vehicles struck in the side.”

Redesigning the Volvo S80 proved to be a good choice for the Swedish automaker as sales of the said model have doubled during the first nine months of 2007 to 9,963 units. The reason for the Volvo model’s success is it being at a much lower price than most of the luxury sedans today but still being equipped with the finest and quality Volvo auto parts. Its parts could level the parts like those found in Infiniti, BMW, and Audi. Another plus factor of the redesigned S80 is its minimalist Scandinavian interior style and design.

There have been a lot of upgrades made by Volvo to its S80 for the 2007 model year until its 2008 models. All these have made the Volvo S80 quite a sporty model for a luxury sedan. Volvo also decided to add another engine, already the third, to the lineup. This a front-wheel-drive base fueled by a 3.2-liter in-line six cylinder engine delivering 235 horsepower and costs around $39,450.

Another engine of the redesigned Volvo S80 is the turbocharged 3.0-liter version of the in-line six-cylinder which is a T6 all-wheel-drive. This engine is capable of delivering 281 horsepower. Its price starts at $42,790. And the last engine is the 4.4-liter V8 engine that is connected to an all-wheel drive, and with an impressive maximum power output of 311 horsepower, costing around $49,995.

What really sets the redesigned Volvo S80 apart is its price which significantly costs less than other vehicles equipped with a V8 engine and an all-wheel drive base, plus a lot of great options and features. Potential buyers can also consider giving their Volvo S80 the optional Sport Package. This package costs about $2,495 and it includes 18-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli high-performance tires, speed-sensitive power steering, bi-Xenon Volvo headlights, ventilated front seats, and electronic chassis control system which allows the driver to modify the suspension tuning just with a push of a button.

Th fuel economy of the redesigned Volvo S80 is the same in all of the engines with the 2008 base model being rated at 16 miles per gallon in the vity and 24 mpg on the highway. With the all-wheel drive models, the fuel economy is 15 miles per gallon in the city and 23mpg on the highway.

The Swedish automaker Volvo will soon have its Volvo XC60 concept car launched in the coming MPH shows in London and Birmingham happening in November. This concept car from Volvo is actually a crossover vehicle which merges the versatility of the all-wheel-drive of a Volvo XC model with the sporty appeal of a sleek coupe. However, this is still not the launch of the future vehicle of Volvo as this is just a peek. Car enthusiasts will still have to wait for early 2009, where it is expected to hit UK showrooms.

It could be remembered that this Volvo concept car was first revealed in January of this year during the Detroit Motor Show. This concept car was intensively designed and worked on by the people at the Volvo Car’s Concept Center for four months. The Volvo XC60 concept car was finished earlier than planned because it was expected that the XC60 concept will take about eight months even with the teamwork of 70 member of the staff. This staff includes expert in milling techniques, sheet metal worker, upholstery experts, technicians, lathe operators, and engineers. The result could only be quality Volvo auto parts that will be made standard to the upcoming Volvo model. Volvo enthusiast will surely be happy with the Volvo engine parts this XC60 will soon have under its bonnet.

Visitors to the upcoming MPH Show will be able to view the Volvo XC60 Concept for the first time. They’ll be given a peek at all the new design cues of Volvo which will apparently be the design of future Volvos as well such as the expressive and well-sculptured Volvo tail lights, Volvo’s broad muscular shoulders, and a bigger version of the Volvo iron mark found on its front Volvo grille. This Volvo concept vehicle will be a part of the all-wheel-drive lineup of Volvo which also includes the Volvo XC70 and XC90.

Besides having a peek at the Volvo XC60 concept vehicle, the show-goers will also be given the opportunity to check out the all-new Volvo V70 and XC70 premium estates together with the smart Volvo S40 saloon in its new R-Design Sport specifications and the C30 Sports Coupe. These models are all aprt of the shows gallery.