The passenger compartment of the Volvo EX90 remained stable in the frontal offset test. Protection of all critical body areas was good for the front passenger. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and the front seat passenger. Volvo showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the Volvo EX90 would be a somewhat aggressive impact partner in a frontal collision. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection was good for all critical body regions of the driver and at least adequate for the rear seat passenger. In both the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact, good protection was provided to all critical body areas and the Volvo EX90 scored maximum points in this part of the assessment. Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be adequate The Volvo EX90 has a countermeasure to mitigate against occupant-to-occupant injuries in such impacts. The airbag performed well in Euro NCAP’s tests with dummy readings indicating good protection for both the driver and passenger. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The car has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash, and a system to prevent secondary impacts after the car has been in a collision. Volvo demonstrated that the doors and windows would be openable to allow occupants to escape in the event of vehicle submergence.
In both the frontal offset and the side barrier tests protection of all critical body areas was good for the 6 and 10 year dummies, and the Volvo EX90 scored maximum points in this part of the assessment. The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded. The Volvo EX90 is equipped with a direct ‘child presence detection’ system which issues a warning when it detects that a child or infant has been left in the car. All of the child restraint types for which the Volvo EX90 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.
The Volvo EX90 has an ‘active’ bonnet. Sensors in the bumper detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet surface to provide more space to the hard structures underneath. Volvo showed that the system worked robustly over a range of speeds and for different statures. Accordingly, the car was tested with the bonnet in the raised, deployed position. Protection of the head of a struck pedestrian or cyclist was predominantly good or adequate, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars. Protection of the pelvis was almost completely poor. If it were not for the fraction of a point scored, the EX90 would have been ineligible for a five-star rating. Protection of the femur was mostly good while that of the knee and tibia was mixed. The autonomous emergency braking system of the Volvo EX90 responds to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to other vehicles. In tests of its response to pedestrians, the system performed well, including the protection of those to the rear of the car. The system also performed well in tests of its reaction to cyclists, including ‘dooring’, where a door is opened into the path of a cyclist approaching from behind. The system’s response to motorcyclists was good.
Overall, the performance of the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system was good in tests of its reaction to other vehicles. A seatbelt reminder system is fitted as standard to the front and rear seats. The car has a direct driver status monitoring system as standard, detecting driver fatigue and some types of distraction. The lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane and also intervenes in some more critical situations. The speed assistance system identifies the local speed limit. The driver can choose to allow the limiter to be set automatically by the system.