6 comments: to “ The New Volvo XC60 Launched in Brunei Darussalam ”

• Anonymous
  November 13, 2009 8:09 PM  

  I luv the design of the car, its makes the xc90 look far more uglier than it usually is. I like all the safety features which is exceptional and very good but I find one very odd feature. That's the 'auto braking by city safety'. I understand that its quite 'new and cool', to me its more of a gimmick to sell to the people who likes things that are new and unfound for. Its a technology that stops the car from hitting a close obstacles if the car moves below 30km/h. Cool but seriously, if u still hit things at this speed, you shouldn't drive at all. Check out Fifth Gear and Top Gear's comment on this technology, they absolute laugh at it cos it shows people who buy this car in particular for that technology, is a sign of a horrible driver. I would love to purchase this car in the future, due to its design and various things but not for that gimmick, if only they can lower the 90k price tag to a reasonable 75-80k (with that horrid 'auto braking by city safety' remove from the car) I am worried about people who drive this car on the road because if that person bought it due to the technology, I better not be close to them. I will still admire that person's car though cos I luv the design.
• Haf
  November 15, 2009 2:54 AM  

  To Anonymous;
  The Auto braking feature is standard on the XC60, which makes it the first car ever in the world to have such feature fitted as standard. And to call it "new and unfound for" is very much ridiculous. Mercedes has similar system, called as "Pre-Safe", which I assume you have watched it on TopGear (where the tester actually rear-ended other cars because they forgot to switch it on), and Honda also has one, called CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System), which actually works! And the lads of TopGear do not "laugh" at this technology. Check http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/20/volvo-city-safety-boss-bmw-autoblog/ - where a group of blogger tried this sytem (on their boss's car!) - and hey, it works! And to simply call those who "takes up" this feature as "horrible driver" is not a very nice thing. Look around you, in Brunei itself, how many accidents are in the category of low-speed rear-end shunt? The number is not negligible. Even the most experienced of drivers have their own fair share of such kinds of incidents. I would take this system not because it sounds cool, but because 1/. I could never predict when I am going to rear-end other cars and 2/. if it does happen, at least I have a "safety net" when I failed to react in time. ;)
• Anonymous
  November 15, 2009 6:39 AM  

  Haf: Well I understand the points you pointed out. I am sorry if some of my comments were rather harsh.
  
  I know Mercedes had the technology, so did Lexus. I want to state the difference, Pre-safe does not halt the car but rather slows it down, also makes the brake more sensitive when the driver does brake unlike the city safety which will halt it for ‘You’. Also, I meant my previous comment towards Brunei only, not the world, as can be seen how I stated ‘I would luv to purchase the car’ meaning me in Brunei. Which makes my statement “new and unfound”, I think is correct because it is the first vehicle to make it standard in Brunei (as you stated). Which again makes it ‘new’. Why its ‘unfound’, pardon the metaphor, it is ‘new’ technology that does not exist in Brunei consumer vehicles as standard. Therefore, making it ‘unfound’ towards us consumers in Brunei. Also, Honda does have the technology, but the technology is not implemented in the current Honda vehicles sold in Brunei. Again, ‘New and Unfound’. I am sorry if it sounds harsh, it is just my opinion. Everyone has theirs :)
  When I say Top Gear and Fifth Gear laughed at the technology, it was more a sarcastic comment from me to arouse people who read my comment, but please try to observe their body language and their tone when they reviewed or commented city safety. They “snickered” or rather “Ha Ha” at it. I thank you for correcting me, not the entire Top Gear crew laugh at it, rather only Clarkson commented it with the “Ha Ha” sense.
  I am sorry again if my comment did hurt the ‘take up’ feature label as ‘horrible driver’ but it is my opinion because if you do buy the car only bcos of that “feature” only and not the due to the sporty design, engineering marvel on both safety, comfort and reliability, mechanical performance and drivability of the car as a whole, I am sorry, it only shows that the buyer has a weakness in term of driving, he/she tends to collide the people in front, and buying this, you got two things in one, a car plus ‘I won’t hit people in front if I go at speed less than 30km/h’. That’s my opinion of the buyer of the car showing lack of focus in driving. I guess horrible sounds harsh, probably irresponsible of not focusing while driving is the correct word.
  The accident that did occur in Brunei at ‘low speed’, was never publish or noted in both newspaper or News Telecast since, last I check, car accidents going at less 30km/h have small dented bumpers or crack rear bumpers, not folded or crumpled rear ends, unless the car frame was fragile or very old. Therefore, I can’t comment or question on your ‘how many accidents are in the category of low-speed rear-end shunt? The number is not negligible’, since I don’t have any facts and figures or ‘accident statistics’ on how much it occur in Brunei, since they rarely, or ever mention car crashes at less than 30km/h.
• Anonymous
  November 15, 2009 6:41 AM  

  QUOTED by Clarkson:
  The system is called City Safety, it’s fitted as standard to all XC60s and it works like this. A radar “sees” the road ahead and if it senses that you are about to have a rear-end shunt it will apply the brakes for you. I know the system is supposed to work only in city traffic at speeds less than 20mph, but so far as I can tell, it doesn’t seem to work at all. (He hit the bmw 3 series infront of him as he wanted to test the ‘city safety’ in a roundabout, implying reliability issues, well Clarkson does have a thing against electronics as he believes we as a driver should be more responsible and not lay it upon electronics to do the responsibility. I just wanted to point out that the car only seems to work in straight line (probably) and not slanted as I imagine thats what he tried to do. Which begs the question, since the driver of xc60 is so confident and sold out that the system will work 100%, they ignore braking at all if they are below 30km/h, and that what scares me if I was in the vehicle infront of that person, in a roundabout situation. Well at that speed I won’t get injured just a dented rear bumper. Now thats in a car to car collision, what about if it was pedestrian and the driver in the xc60 is so confident his/her car will stop beforehand and a glitch happen such as in Clarkson situation. This is why I raise such questions, the negativity of it installed in the car in the first place affecting driver confidence and ego. Don’t get me wrong, in my view its good in many ways in terms of safety for the person in the xc60. It just has that quirvy feeling for me as the other user to watch out about the driver in the xc60 especially if that person is next to me, me being on the left lane and that person in the right, its their ego and confidence in driving that I question. I wont’ stop adoring the design and sportiness of the car though :) Imagine it with Heico body kits, umm its to die for hehe
• Anonymous
  November 15, 2009 6:41 AM  

  Another take:
  Fifth Gear Comment “It does work, but if only you are stupid enough to not know when your car is crashing in that speed in the first place...the idiots should get it” this was a comment made by expert car reviews. Implying if you still hit people at that speed, you shouldn’t be on the road driving in the first place. How can you not predict you are going to rear-end other cars in that speed? Only two reasons, 1) Your eye is not focus on the road in front due to a) sleepiness (why drive when you will endanger other people anyway), b) Eyeballing at the women on the side of the road waving since the car looks sporty and “ganas”, male ego goes up the roof hehe (most preferred answer hehe :) ), c) Outside distraction such as talking or texting on your phone (which is illegal anyway). At this speed, the other reason being 2) have the slowest reaction to apply the breaks, or don’t know where the brake pedals are (which makes this car a more desirable solution if the driver can’t differentiate brake and gas at that moment). Besides that, if you are going at no more than 30 km/h, with a car in front of you braking and you have the tendency to suddenly get a shock or suprise and zoned out for few seconds, then this car is made for them. Again, I question their legibility of driving in the first place cos the driver gets shook pretty easily in my standard. I do believe one good thing about this safety if i drove it, its for those people who are infront of me, who slams the brakes every corner or little commotion disregarding the people behind, which again I don’t have to brake since the car will do it for me, implying 100% trust on electronics. But again, speed at less 30 km/h, I would be blind to hit the car infront because again, we are not allowed by law to be so close to the vehicle infront (menyucuk) by at least 5 m (or 3 car lengths I think). Nauzibillah this does occur but I do understand human error factor, which makes the car more desirable to the people who has a serious case of usually hitting the cars infront at speed less than 30km/h (like in a car park). THIS CAR IS MEANT AND MADE FOR YOU.
  Therefore I end it, it is just my opinion by the way, the technology ‘City Safety’, more a ‘cool and hip’ factor since’ you want it to impress people since only the few and rarest have it, like an elite car’ rather than it being needed for the driver. If you do ask me whether I will purchase the car in future, 85% chance I will cos out of all the smaller SUV in today market, its the one I adore the most due to its sporty and aggressive design especially if fitted with Heico, even the sounds is husky. The ‘city safety’ feature to me is rather an insignificant tool compared to things like ABS, EBD. Which is why I would prefer it remove if it could lessen the price since most new things tend to be expensive. I know people will comment, safety is priceless which I also believe in, but can you seriously be heavily injured or killed in a tough Volvo-made SUV if you are going less than 30km/h? My opinion, its more of a gimmick that I need to pay extra for a cool looking car.
  To Bee motor, please buy the Heico Volvo XC60 :) so I can drool at it hehe
• Haf
  November 17, 2009 8:45 AM  

  To Anonymous:
  You said that you'd buy the car for its engineering marvel on safety, comfort and reliability, mechanical performance and drivability of the car? But do not you think that the feature is ALSO a part of the marvels, hm? But yes, I agree with you that if a person bought this car and then confidently driving haphazardly just because he thought that this feature could help him all the time, it would be ridiculous! But to call it insignificant would be unnecessary. As I said, we would never be able to predict when we are about to rear-end another car, even in stop-start traffic (which the City by Safety system is designed for) - even if the damage is not bad, but I'd rather avoid such circumstances at all! And did you know that Volvo has also the same system as Mercedes' Pre-Safe? I applaud your point about it being a new system and all - which brings up another question - why do car dealers do not offer ESP as standard (save the luxury cars)? :(

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