Volvo unveils first car with pedestrian airbag

Volvo cars have always been considered the safest in the world – but they’re about to get even safer, with the introduction of the world’s first airbag for pedestrians.

The device is fitted to the all-new V40, which was unveiled this week at the Geneva Motor Show.

Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation, made a distinctive statement about the company's sharpened competitive edge when he revealed the all-new Volvo V40 at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday.

- The V40 is perfectly in tune with the current downsizing trend with consumers favoring more compact cars and fuel-efficient engines. It is charged with features you normally have to buy a larger model to get - said Stefan Jacoby.

The world-first Pedestrian Airbag Technology stands out among the new features. The pedestrian airbag lifts the hood when inflating, softening up the hood and cushioning parts of the A-pillars and windscreen area.

The City Safety low-speed collision avoidance system has been further developed and it now operates at speeds up to 50 km/h. The V40 can also be equipped with Lane Keeping Aid with haptic auto steering and an ingenious Park Assist Pilot that makes parallel parking easy.

The all-new Volvo V40 is a modern, expressive car with a Scandinavian luxury look and feel. A new, graphic interactive dashboard with personalised layout and information enhances the intuitive and uncomplicated driver experience.

Production of the all-new Volvo V40 starts in May 2012. The car will be built in Volvo Car Corporation's plant in Ghent, Belgium.