SALT LAKE CITY — Volvo brought its latest attempt to set a new standard for car safety technology to Utah on Wednesday.
The company unveiled the new "Naughty" 2011 Volvo S60 — along with all of its safety gadgets — at Ken Garff Volvo of Salt Lake.
"The safest Volvo ever built is in this room with us," said Will Schaerr, general manager of Ken Garff Volvo. "They've raised safety to a new level."
The sleeker, more dynamic — and thus, "naughtier" — version of this year's S60 not only allows for a smoother ride for its passengers, but also features what Volvo calls its newly designed "Pedestrian Detection" system.
To put it simply, the new system tries through multiple means to warn a driver of an oncoming pedestrian. If those warnings don't work, it stops the car for anyone not paying attention to the road.
According to Celesta Davis, Volvo tour manager, the system includes both a short- and long-range radar detector, which teams up with a built-in camera to determine whether the car is closing in on a pedestrian. When a pedestrian is detected, preventive measures are enacted to ensure a driver knows what is coming, including precharging the brakes, displaying a red warning stripe and enabling a beeping noise in the car.
But officials said the real beauty in the system occurs when a driver continues to accelerate without applying the brakes.
"If you then don't brake, it actually stops. It applies 100 percent of the braking force," Davis said. "You actually come to a complete stop to prevent you from hitting a pedestrian."
For Davis and the company, the hope and goal is that many accidents can be prevented with the new technology.
"The goal is: no fatalities caused by a Volvo," said Ken Garff Volvo employee Josh Lucero.
The new technology is already leaving an impression on Volvo fans and owners.
John Lafazia, owner of a 2006 Volvo S60 and a resident of Layton, was thrilled after viewing and learning about this year's model.
"I find it really amazing that they've come this far in technology," Lafazia said. "They are a step ahead of everyone else, and it can only get better."
The 2011 Volvo S60 also includes other safety features, such as its corner-traction control and advanced-stability control. The former gives a driver optimal turning control, while the latter mechanism allows for a smoother ride on bumpy roads and helps with any skidding that may occur.
All of which have Volvo employees crowing.
"It's the Volvo our competitors never saw coming," Davis said.
e-mail: danng@desnews.com