<p>THERE are lots of safety features that <a href="http://movka.com" target="_blank">car camera manufacturer</a> extol in glossy brochures which we can only take their word for.</p>
<p>Like dual-stage airbags that will deploy with varying degrees of protective force during a minor or major collision. Or hidden, rear roll-over bars in convertibles that will pop out in milliseconds to protect passengers should the vehicle turn turtle.</p>
<p>But then again, there are also some features that we can, and do, put to the test.</p>
<p>The latest feature on the must-try list is Volvo’s top-of-the-line S60 T6’s Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake.</p>
<p>It is claimed that this ground-breaking device can automatically stop the T6 dead in its tracks should anyone dash in front of the car and the driver cannot brake in time.</p>
<p>As there were no volunteers around, Volvo Car Malaysia arranged for an inflatable dummy called Bob to aid us.</p>
<p>We could sense the Volvo staff had grown fond of this silent 1.7m figure and wanted him back at the end of our four-day test drive, hopefully without any bumper scratches or tyre marks.</p>
<p>Upon finding an empty carpark in Putra Heights in Subang Jaya, Selangor we set Bob up and drove the T6 towards to him to test the credentials of Pedestrian Detection. We had to fight the instinctive urge to lift our foot off the accelerator and go for the brakes as our speeding machine raced towards Bob.</p>
<p>Then a buzzer blared, accompanied by flashing red lights on the dashboard, moments before the T6 slammed its brakes – and Bob was safe.</p>
<p>As our confidence grew, we repeated the exercise a few times. One of us even drove at Bob with eyes closed. And yes, the T6 stopped automatically, almost magically, with centimetres to spare from him.</p>
<p>For first-timers, the experience was harrowing. But this new safety device has paved the way for smarter cars in the future – far smarter than their drivers.</p>
<p>To put things into context, Pedestrian Detection uses a grille radar system and windscreen-mounted car camera combination to detect any pedestrian who might stray onto your path.</p>
<p>The system works best for speeds below 35kph. At higher speeds, the T6 might not be able to stop in time to avoid a collision. But, in the event of one, the degree of injury would be reduced.</p>
<p>Pedestrian Detection is an improvement on Volvo’s earlier City Safety system, designed to track larger objects such as cars and trucks and slam the brakes to avoid a rear-end collision.</p>
<p>As you read this, Volvo is working on a new system based on Pedestrian Detection which can track animals and brake when they’re in one’s way!</p>
<p>Another must-try feature is the Active Cruise Control with Queue Assist, which not only maintains a set distance between you and the vehicle in front in cruise control mode, but also brings the T6 to a complete halt should the vehicle in front pull up suddenly.</p>
<p>With these new electronic driving aids, we have to acknowledge that Volvo has elevated automotive safety to a higher level. But it is not banking on safety alone to sell cars as this Swedish marque has been working hard to inject speed, and a dose of sexiness into its vehicles.</p>
<p>Sporting a coupe-ish profile with seductive curves, the T6 is definitely not like the car your parents or uncles used to drive. Its larger 18-inch wheels add a more aggressive and athletic stance to this low-slung vehicle.</p>
<p>Inside, a high quality interior with soft-to-the-touch materials and contrasting dark and orange upholstery create a luxurious yet sporty ambiance.</p>
<p>We can say that the T6’s interior easily matches similar class offerings from its Teutonic rivals.</p>
<p>The dashboard now has a large screen monitor which displays vehicle status, multimedia information as well as satellite navigation and reverse/side camera views.</p>
<p>Under the bonnet lies a silky smooth 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder block with 304bhp and 440Nm of torque.</p>
<p>Response is immediate: you hear a low sporty note whenever you plant your right foot on the accelerator, and you get a 0-100kph sprint in 6.1 seconds, and all the way to a top speed of 250kph.</p>
<p>Our T6 unit gets a six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission with all-wheel drive system, three levels of steering effort selection and the Four-C active chassis control with three suspension settings – Comfort, Sport and Advanced.</p>
<p>We left the suspension setting on Comfort for most parts of our drive along pothole-riddled roads and used the Sport occasionally when we wanted a firmer ride on highways at high speeds.</p>
<p>The handling and steering sharpness of the T6 are easily leaps and bounds ahead of Volvos models of the past. It is still a little short of German rivals in this department, but it’s certainly closing the gap.</p>
<p>Steering is said to feature a 10% faster gear steering ratio. The car is packaged with thicker bushings and a stiffer chassis, to give the S60 a more direct road feel.</p>
<p>Supplementing this new feel is the Corner Traction Control which brakes the inner driven wheel during hard cornering so more power is sent to the outer driven wheel for the S60 to corner tighter with less understeer.</p>
<p>Other safety staple safety items in the T6 are six airbags, Blind Spot Information System, Lane Departure Warning, Rollover Protection System, and Dynamic Stability and Traction Control.</p>
<p>Although the T6 is priced at RM345,507 on-the-road without insurance, ours came fully loaded with optional equipment, such as rear seat multimedia entertainment system, front and rear bumper skid plates, rear spoiler, front blind view camera and sports pedals, that add up to RM13K plus.</p>
<p>But even without these options, the base T6 with its beefy engine and awe-inspiring safety gadgets is more than enough to satisfy the urge for speed – with a “guardian angel” in tow.</p>
<p>Oh, as for Bob, we handed him back in exactly the same condition as when we got him.</p>
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