Volvo collects green and safety awards

The trophy cabinet must be near full to bursting at Volvo with its S40 DRIVe featuring stop-start recently picking up the Green Car of the year prize at the What Car? Green Car Awards and employee Jan Ivarsson receiving the world's most prestigious award in traffic safety - the US Government Special Award of Appreciation.

Good times at Volvo then as its cars are noted for their environmental credentials while the brand's traditional core value of safety are reflected in Ivarsson being recognised at such a high level.

Ivarsson admits that, although rivals have been catching Volvo up in recent years regarding safety, "over the past few years we have demonstrated the sheer extent of the expertise in our company. Our new passive and active safety systems which are now being rolled out to customers are of absolute world class."

The award in the USA is even more relevant given the Swedish firm's relatively small volume in the American market, Ivarsson saying; "Americans have immense respect for Volvo's and Sweden's long tradition of car safety - which on many occasions has played a vital role in determining US traffic-safety legislation."

Volvo's cars aren't just safe, but green too, the environmental credentials of the firm's cars recognised at the recent What Car? Green Car awards. The Volvo S40 1.6D DRIVe took both the small family car category as well as the overall honours, beating competition like the Audi A8 and MINI Cooper S. With CO₂ emissions of 104g/km and an official combined consumption figure of 72.4mpg, the S40 1.6D DRIVe's impressive green statistics come via the adoption of stop-start powertrain, along with weight saving and aerodynamic enhancing technology.

We've no doubt Volvo's new trophy cabinet is built solidly from sustainable wood and fixed firmly to a strong wall. It'll need to be.

Kyle Fortune