Volvo S60

The styling might be daring but we reckon the new S60 is a 'safe' bet for Volvo – that's because it gets an amazing new safety system that prevents accidents!

Making its world debut at the Detroit Motor Show, the new BMW 3-Series challenger wowed crowds with its striking new look, which features the latest evolution of Volvo's design language. But it also debuted a new safety system, called Collision Warning With Full Auto Brake.

This uses several clever cameras that can tell if the car is about to have a collision – and take avoiding action. The system is so intelligent it can even recognise pedestrians, and alert the driver to any erratic behaviour, such as a child running out from an open car door. Should the driver fail to take action, the car will actually brake automatically. 

Which is just as well – with a dramatic coupe-like body, owners will be desperate to avoid reshaping their S60s in any way. At the front, the newcomer gets a bold grille – which features the Volvo badge illuminated in blue on this concept – flanked by neat headlights. Thick shoulderlines give added strength to the S60 while at the rear striking tailights finish the design off with an elegant flourish.

Inside, the cabin is luxurious and tastefully styled with lightly coloured leathers, a floating centre console and lots of blond wood. The whole design is very flowing and is said to be inspired by the Swedish coastline – hence the LED headlamps, which create a silhouette of a Viking longboat when switched on.

Although they are unlikely to make it to production, the car you see here is pretty much identical to the version that will reach Volvo showrooms in early 2010.