THE Volvo V60 has received the top five-star rating and has been named best in the Large Car Family category in the 2011 European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) rating. In the US, the Volvo S60 also achieved a top five-star rating in the National Highway for Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests.

“It is very good news that our aim to offer customers the safest cars on the market is confirmed by several independent evaluations on different continents,” said Volvo Car Corp. (VCC) Senior Safety Advisor Thomas Broberg. “However, this is just part of the complete picture of a car model’s real-life safety performance and the effort we dedicate to offering customers world-leading safety.”

In addition to topping the Euro NCAP Large Car Family category, the V60 was also cited for its low-speed collision avoidance system called City Safety, Volvo said, adding that in the US the S60 was the only car that got five stars in each of the three crash tests—frontal, side pole and side barrier—and also received a five-star rollover rating.

According to the carmaker, the S60 is currently the only European luxury car in the US that has these top NHTSA ratings, plus an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick award. The car is available with all of the active safety technologies recommended by the NHTSA, Volvo said.

“Volvo is leading the development of technology that helps the driver avoid collisions,” said VCC President and Chief Executive Officer Stefan Jacoby. “All features are designed around the driver, helping him or her to stay alert and well informed to avoid collisions and dangerous situations.”

Jacoby added: “At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, we will confirm this leadership by revealing new groundbreaking safety technologies.”

In the Philippines, the V60 is sold with a 2.0-liter T5 gasoline engine while the S60 is available in gasoline and diesel engine variants.