Top Safety Pick + Top Safety Pick criteria

2015 Volvo S60

midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan

2015 Volvo S60 4-door sedan
2013 Volvo S60 shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Small overlap front: driver-side
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Optional system
Superior
Standard system
Advanced

Seat belts & child restraints

LATCH ease of use

Other available safety features

  • Standard daytime running lights
  • Optional blind spot detection
  • Optional lane departure warning
  • Optional lane departure prevention

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2011-18 models

Tested vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T5 4-door

The Volvo S60 was redesigned for the 2011 model year. The small overlap frontal crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the S60, known as the Volvo V60, introduced in the 2015 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head contacted the frontal airbag but slid left into a gap in coverage between the frontal and side curtain airbags, leaving the head vulnerable to contact with forward side structure and outside objects, despite good stability of the steering column. This gap is mainly due to a combination of the narrow, asymmetric frontal airbag and a curtain airbag that doesn't extend sufficiently forward. The side torso airbag deployed.

Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

During the crash, the dummy's head slipped into the gap between the narrow frontal airbag and the side curtain airbag, which does not extend far enough forward.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEN1207
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 8
Footrest (cm) 5
Left toepan (cm) 4
Brake pedal (cm) 5
Parking brake (cm) 0
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 3
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column 3
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 7
Upper dash (cm) 6
Lower instrument panel (cm) 5

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEN1207
Head
HIC-15 86
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 18
Maximum Nij 0.25
Chest maximum compression (mm) 16
Femur (kN)
Left 0.2
Right 0.1
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 1
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.45
Right 0.54
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 1.8
Right 0.7
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 42
Right 39

How the driver-side small overlap front test is conducted

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2011-18 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Volvo S60 4-door

The Volvo S60 was redesigned for the 2011 model year. Moderate overlap ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Volvo as part of frontal crash test verification.

The moderate overlap frontal crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the S60, known as the Volvo V60, introduced in the 2015 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTF1017
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 1
Left (cm) 1
Center (cm) 2
Right (cm) 4
Brake pedal (cm) 1
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 0
Right (cm) 0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -1
Rearward (cm) -8
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTF1017
Head
HIC-15 329
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm) 4
Maximum Nij 0.23
Chest maximum compression (mm) 22
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.2
Femur force - right (kN) 0.1
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.27
Maximum tibia index - right 0.57
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.8
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 42
Right 51

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2011-18 models

Tested vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T5 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Volvo S60 was redesigned for the 2011 model year. The side crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the S60, known as the Volvo V60, introduced in the 2015 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES1106
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -15.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES1106
Head HIC-15 94
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 25
Lateral force (kN) 1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 29
Average deflection (mm) 27
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 6.68
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.83
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.4
Acetabulum force (kN) 0.8
Combined force (kN) 1.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.9
L-M moment (Nm) 124
A-P moment (Nm) 16

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES1106
Head HIC-15 434
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.4
Compression (kN) 0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 44
Lateral force (kN) 1.6
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 36
Average deflection (mm) 31
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.56
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.52
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.4
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.9
Combined force (kN) 1.9
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.6
L-M moment (Nm) 249
A-P moment (Nm) 27

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2011-18 models

Tested vehicle: 2012 Volvo S60 T5 4-door

Rating applies to both the Volvo S60 4-door sedan (tested) and the structurally similar Volvo V60 station wagon.

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 3,563 lbs
Peak force 17,650 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 4.95

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: All Seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type All Seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 7
Distance below top of head (mm) 11
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 8.4
Head contact time (ms) 81
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 42
Max neck tension (N) 245

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

Ratings are given for 2 different trim variations available on this vehicle.

System details

  • Optional Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and Pedestrian Detection
  • Standard City Safety

Package name

  • Optional Technology Package

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2013-16 models

Superior
Superior
with optional equipment
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 14 mph.

System details

  • Standard City Safety

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2013-18 models

Advanced
Advanced
  • Not available.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 2 mph.

How front crash prevention is evaluated

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2015-18 models

Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim T5 Premier
Seat type leather

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim T5 Premier
Seat type leather
1 2 3
G Good
A Acceptable
M Marginal
P Poor
Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol
Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol
Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol
Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
No hardware available

Details by seating position

1
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
2
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
none available
3
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
Technical measurements for this test

Seat position 21

3

Lower anchor A
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 4-6
Force (lbs) 19
Clearance angle (degrees) 60
Lower anchor B
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 2-4
Force (lbs) 32
Clearance angle (degrees) 59
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor
No

Seat position 22

2

Lower anchor A
No lower latch for this seat position
Lower anchor B
No lower latch for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor
No

Seat position 23

1

Lower anchor A
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 2-4
Force (lbs) 26
Clearance angle (degrees) 60
Lower anchor B
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 4-6
Force (lbs) 25
Clearance angle (degrees) 62
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor
No

How child seat anchors are evaluated