Volvos have always been the benchmark of advanced car safety technology. Set to debut at Geneva next month, the new Volvo XC60 will further cement the Swedish manufacturer's safety conscious reputation with new advanced driver-assist features designed to prevent potential accidents. The main new addition is an updated City Safety mode. As well as deploying automatic brakes, the technology will include steering support when braking alone isn't enough to avoid an accident.

When engaged, the car will provide automatic steering assistance to avoid city obstacles that could cause an accident, though it's only active between 31 and 62 mph. In addition, the Volvo XC60 will be equipped with a new Oncoming Lane Mitigation system, which also uses the steering assistance technology to prevent collisions with vehicles in an oncoming lane. Should the driver dangerously stray into the rush of oncoming traffic, the technology will automatically guide them back into their own lane away from any oncoming vehicles, and is active when driving between 37 and 87 mph. This will work in conjunction with an updated version of Volvo's optional Blind Spot Information System.

As well as alerting drivers to vehicles in their blind spot, an update will add steer assist functionality which steers the car back into its own lane if the driver strays out. You can't complain about this level of autonomous car technology when it can potentially save lives. "We have all of the benefits of the safety technology we introduced in our larger 90 series cars in the new XC60," said Malin Ekholm, Senior Director at Volvo Cars' Safety Centre. "This is fully in-line with our strategic approach to develop automotive safety systems based on real-life, real-road safety. Our vision is that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by the year 2020."