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The SCC is an attempt by Volvo to capture the attention of safety conscious consumers who may have been tempted away from the brand by other manufacturers strong on safety, such as Mercedes and BMW. The concept is a showcase for new safety developments for Volvo, but can surely be seen to be part of Ford's greater strategy to use Volvo as a safety test-bed for the entire group.
Much of the SCCs focus is on utilising new technologies, materials and processes to enhance safety.
The vehicle is designed around this principle that safety can be dramatically increased if visibility is improved. When the driver gets into the seat, a sensor identifies the location of his or her eye. The seat then automatically adjusts to suit the position of the eye so that the driver gains the best possible field of vision. Once this is done, the floor, pedals, steering wheel and centre console including the gear lever all move to ensure that all the controls are within convenient reach. The driver thus enjoys the best overview of what is happening both outside the car and on the instrument panel.
The Volvo SCC is the result of close cooperation between Volvo Cars (appointed as the Ford's Center of Excellence for Safety) and the parent company, the Ford Motor Company. The car, which was designed at the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center in California, displays advances in several research and development projects in the fields of safety and security.
"It is our goal to remain the world leaders in the field of automotive safety. With the SCC, we're showing that we have the resources to do just that," continues Ford's Helen Petrauskas.
Several key features improve visibility on the SCC:
• The driver can see through the A-pillars owing to a metal box construction combined with transparent Plexiglas. The B-pillars curve inwards following the contours of the seat frame to offer an unobstructed field of vision to the offset rear.
• A radar unit measures the distance to traffic at the rear and to vehicles alongside the car, and alerts the driver to vehicles in the offset rear "blind spot".
• In addition, rearward-facing cameras integrated into the door mirrors can show the driver what is in the blind spot.
• The headlight beams adapt to the road, by directing the beam in the direction that the driver is turning at a crossroads or in a curve. This idea was first seen in the Citroën DS.
• An infrared light enhancer boosts night vision beyond the reach of the headlights.
• A forward-facing camera monitors the position of the car on the road and alerts the driver if there is any tendency to veer off course.
• The brake lights flash to alert following traffic in harsh brake application.
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