© 2024 New Atlas
Automotive

New Volvo V40 is the first car to feature pedestrian airbags

By Bridget Borgobello
March 07, 2012
New Volvo V40 is the first car to feature pedestrian airbags
The Volvo V40's pedestrian airbags are designed to mitigate a collision with a pedestrian
The Volvo V40's pedestrian airbags are designed to mitigate a collision with a pedestrian
View 22 Images
The all-new Volvo V40 possesses some high-tech features, including the world's first pedestrian airbag system
1/22
The all-new Volvo V40 possesses some high-tech features, including the world's first pedestrian airbag system
The all-new Volvo V40 features the world's first pedestrian airbag system
2/22
The all-new Volvo V40 features the world's first pedestrian airbag system
The Volvo V40 features front bumper sensors that register the physical contact between the car and pedestrian
3/22
The Volvo V40 features front bumper sensors that register the physical contact between the car and pedestrian
The Volvo V40's driver airbag
4/22
The Volvo V40's driver airbag
The Volvo V40 features updated City Safety technology (now active at speeds up to 50 km/h)
5/22
The Volvo V40 features updated City Safety technology (now active at speeds up to 50 km/h)
The Volvo V40 features Lane Keeping Aid
6/22
The Volvo V40 features Lane Keeping Aid
The Volvo V40 features Park Assist Pilot Cross Traffic Alert
7/22
The Volvo V40 features Park Assist Pilot Cross Traffic Alert
Debuting at the Geneva Motor Show, the five-door, five-seater sibling to the Volvo C30
8/22
Debuting at the Geneva Motor Show, the five-door, five-seater sibling to the Volvo C30
The all-new Volvo V40 features the world's first pedestrian airbag technology
9/22
The all-new Volvo V40 features the world's first pedestrian airbag technology
The all-new Volvo V40 possesses some high-tech features, including the world's first pedestrian airbag technology
10/22
The all-new Volvo V40 possesses some high-tech features, including the world's first pedestrian airbag technology
The new Volvo V40 is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
11/22
The new Volvo V40 is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
The new Volvo V40 is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
12/22
The new Volvo V40 is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
The new Volvo V40 is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
13/22
The new Volvo V40 is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
The Volvo V40 features Park Assist Pilot Cross Traffic Alert
14/22
The Volvo V40 features Park Assist Pilot Cross Traffic Alert
The new Volvo V40 is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
15/22
The new Volvo V40 is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
The Volvo V40's pedestrian airbags are designed to mitigate a collision with a pedestrian
16/22
The Volvo V40's pedestrian airbags are designed to mitigate a collision with a pedestrian
Interior of the new Volvo V40, which is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
17/22
Interior of the new Volvo V40, which is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
The Volvo V40 features Active High Beam technology
18/22
The Volvo V40 features Active High Beam technology
The frameless interior rear-view mirror is inspired by modern smartphone designs
19/22
The frameless interior rear-view mirror is inspired by modern smartphone designs
The interior of the Volvo V40 features a fixed panorama glass roof that stretches from the front windscreen to the backrest of the rear seats
20/22
The interior of the Volvo V40 features a fixed panorama glass roof that stretches from the front windscreen to the backrest of the rear seats
Inside the new Volvo V40, debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
21/22
Inside the new Volvo V40, debuting at the Geneva Motor Show
22/22
View gallery - 22 images

Debuting at the Geneva Motor Show, the all-new Volvo V40 possesses some high-tech features, including the world's first pedestrian airbag system. The five-door, five-seater sibling to the Volvo C30 features (as standard) front bumper sensors that register the physical contact between the car and a pedestrian. When impact occurs, a section of the bonnet (closest to the windscreen) is released and elevated by the deployment of the airbag. The inflated airbag covers the area under the raised bonnet, around one-third of the windscreen as well as the lower section of the A-pillar. The system is designed to help to reduce the severity of pedestrian injuries.

Furthermore, the system is coupled with Pedestrian Detection technology that can detect if a pedestrian steps out into the road in front of the car. If the driver is unable to respond in time, the car automatically activates the brakes.

The Volvo V40 also features updated City Safety technology, Lane Keeping Aid with haptic auto steering, automatic Road Sign Information, Active High Beam technology and Park Assist Pilot Cross Traffic Alert.

The all-new Volvo V40 possesses some high-tech features, including the world's first pedestrian airbag system
The all-new Volvo V40 possesses some high-tech features, including the world's first pedestrian airbag system

The interior of the V40 features a fixed panorama glass roof that stretches from the front windscreen to the backrest of the rear seats, interior lighting designed to give a "theater lighting" feel, and a frameless interior rear-view mirror inspired by modern smartphone designs.

The chassis has been designed to offer "a responsive, agile and connected driving experience." The rigid body and low center of gravity reportedly promote an alert, quick-responding character that focuses on the driving experience, yet without compromising the comfort of the ride. The rear monotube dampers feature compression and return damping via the same valve. This gives shorter, faster fluid flow, which in turn means that the damper responds more quickly. In the Sport chassis setting, the car is lowered 10 mm (0.4 in) compared with the Dynamic chassis. Springs and shock absorbers have a firmer setting, resulting in a responsive drive with full control.

The V40 also comes available with a new, fully graphic instrument cluster. This active Thin Film Transistor (TFT) crystal display allows the driver to choose between three graphic themes: Elegance, Eco or Performance.

Source: Volvo

View gallery - 22 images

Tags

AutomotiveSafetyVolvoCarsPedestrianAirbagsGeneva Motor Show 2012
10 comments
Bridget Borgobello
Bridget Borgobello
Bridget is an experienced architecture, travel and design writer who has been contributing to New Atlas since 2010. Based between Melbourne and Rome, she and has a keen eye for innovative design, green technology and space saving solutions. Bridget is fluent in Italian and enjoys covering major events in Italy, including the Milan Design Week and Venice Biennale.

Most Viewed

Load More
10 comments
Steve Pender
I'm not willing to pay a dime for this feature. I've never hit a pedestrian, and would refuse to pay extra for any car that features this.
Bill Bennett
Steve Pender, agree would not want it, it is as stupid as their collision avoidance system that COULD leave you sitting on Rail Road tracks with a train coming. If this system ever malfunctioned who would be liable? the driver or the manufacturer? Lawyers must be salivating
Big Mig
Steve and Bill, I respect your opinions but, obviously, your set of values is totally different to many drivers'. I've analyzed thousands of accidents (by the way, most people involved never had one before and none of them expected to have it) and my feeling when reading this article was 'I want this car'. I follow new safety developments from the automotive industry and it's impressive VOVO's big step forward with primary safety systems. 'Chapeau' for VOLVO engineers.
Mike Hallett
I can see where they're going with this and, knowing Volvo, they will have tested it thoroughly....but it seems to me that any pedestrian/victim is now going to get flipped over the roof and straight into the path of the unsuspecting vehicle behind, probably getting sliced by the high gain blade aerial mounted at the back end of the roof. Not convinced, Volvo. Sorry.
Albert Sudonim
How come there is no illustration or artist's rendition of the Volvo V40 actually running into a pedestrian?
A little animation would be nice. It could show the difference between getting run into (and thrown in the air) or being run over by a Volvo V40.
Max Kennedy
Volvo used to be THE safety leader and is finally comming back into this. Great innovation, expect to see it become universal.
Adrian Akau
I think that the design is limited. If they already have Pedestrian Detection technology which can activate the brake system, why not modify that system t calculate unavoidable impact and deploy an air bag to the front from the bumper before collision occurs. An airbag on the windshield seems to show that there is more concern in protecting the windshield than the pedestrian that is hit. A front bumper air bag would seem to make more sense and, if designed sufficiently strong, could actually protect the vehicle from unavoiable impacts of all types. The main line of development here should be:
1. Accurate detection of unavoidable impact 2. Deployment of protective airbag before collision takes place
Ozuzi
I read a paper on why we have 40kph zones. At 40 your head slaps against the bonnet and you live, above that and it cracks open on the windscreen. Its the angle of impact.
Ct
How about just making pedestrians who are too stupid to look both ways before crossing the street, or not paying attention as they text and walk, take accountablity for their own saftey. Darwin was right and we need poplutaion control in what ever form it may come. Enough with car saftey as one minor fender benders now total a car and these devices that jack up the price of cars.
Next we will be required to wear motorcylce helmets in our cars and padded saftey body suits.
Sqidge
Having witnesses three pedestrians struck by young male drivers, using their cars, when each pedestrian died about a week after the collision, in awful pain of massive internal injuries, I can say that this airbag concept is only the first stage to what is required.
Te best solution? The German suburban street speed limit of 30 km/hr is probably the most effective. At that speed it is possible for even the most dense driver to slow to a speed that will only cause minor injuries, hopefully. But gosh, it's hard to drive that slowly in a manual. Try it. They do it!
Secondly, a lot of the injury comes from the sickening fall of the hit person as they roll off the windscreen or bonnet to the ground below. In all three incidents that I witnessed, they landed on their heads.
What could effect more protection would be for a long low-mounted bag to open to form a soft landing, although you could put money on the person being hit so hard that they are thrown beyond such a landing pad. But then they are probably doomed anyway.
Basically, any time you hear a person, of any age, decrying pedestrians for ‘getting in the way’, or being ‘stupid old fools’, et al, they should be reported, and grounded for psychological assessment before, maybe, being allowed to drive again.
p.s. One of the young men, the one who killed the most incredibly cautious lady, took his own life a year later, wracked with his grief and regret at his stupidity on the day.