The bold, confident style of the XC60 takes Volvo places it has not been before. It is aimed at attracting a whole legion of new buyers, particularly those with a yen for exciting, highly individual looks combined with outstanding agility on and off-road.

The XC60 combines the tough, all-wheel drive 'muscularity' of an SUV with fluid, coupe-style looks, indicating it is at home practically anywhere.

According to Volvo Cars Design Director, Steve Mattin, the XC60 is, "Charged with more emotive form and more energy than any other Volvo. We're elevating our design DNA to an entirely new level by literally turning up the visual volume. If you say that you'd recognise a Volvo from a hundred metres away today, I dare say the XC60 radiates a clear Volvo presence from at least twice that distance."

It introduces City Safety - a groundbreaking new technology that adds to the advanced systems already in use on Volvo models to make it the safest Volvo ever.

This unique feature takes on-road safety to new levels, including the ability to avoid or minimise the effects of low-speed impacts through automatic braking if the system senses the car is about to drive into the vehicle in front.

"We are the first manufacturer in the world to offer this type of feature as standard. The car is packed with our accumulated safety know-how and technology, both when it comes to preventing accidents and protecting all the occupants in a collision," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp.