The dynamics of all three Volvos have also been enhanced, thanks in part to the addition of the Swedish brand's Four-C adaptive chassis. Introduced on the S60/V70R and adapted to the front-wheel drive S80, it will
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| The rear end of the V70 gets clear lenses amid its taillamp clusters as well as chromed tailpipes for 2005. (Photo: Volvo Cars of Canada) |
make its debut in the midsized Volvos for 2005. By use of sensors mounted around the car, adaptive dampers - which change their damping rates in a split-second - are fed information about the driver's throttle and steering inputs as well as the surface below the wheels. This helps to create a more responsive car. Though Four-C has Comfort and Sport settings selectable by the driver, but each of the three cars has its own unique default settings. A sporty bias featuring a slightly stiffer setup is used on the S60, a comfort bias featuring improved ride comfort on the V70, and a slightly stiffer and a slightly firmer ride with enhanced steering feel to improve stability and negate lateral body movements for the XC70.
With the revised S60, V70 and XC70 come three new safety features, two of which are items new to the industry. Volvo
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| Volvo presents Blind Spots Information System or BLIS, a breakthrough active safety feature for 2005. (Photo: Volvo Cars of Canada) |
presents Blind Spots Information System or BLIS, a breakthrough active safety feature designed to better inform the driver of what's in their blind spots. Using digital cameras mounted on the sideview mirrors the system takes 25 photos per second, all the while comparing them to detect moving vehicles within the BLIS zone. This zone is 9.5 meters (31.18 feet) long by 3 meters (9.84 feet) wide, well into a driver's blind spot. If the system detects a car or motorcycle within the BLIS zone, a warning lamp lights up indicating which side the vehicle is on. BLIS is intelligent, not reacting to static objects such as lamp posts, parked cars, and signs.
An additional safety feature is WRG water-repelling laminated glass.
