Volvo’s ground-breaking XC90 SUV has received further recognition for its role in redefining the SUV segment – this time in the familiar Volvo territory of safety – receiving the 2015 Euro NCAP Best in Class award for both Large Off-Road and Overall Performance categories.

The Volvo XC90 achieved overall top performance in the 2015 Euro NCAP ratings, scoring 100 per cent in the Safety Assist category, and an outstanding 97 per cent in adult occupant protection, reflecting the innovative approach that Volvo Cars continues to take when developing new safety systems.

Jan Ivarsson, Acting Director Volvo Cars Safety Centre, said: “We are always happy to receive further recognition for the work we do. The XC90 embodies everything that Volvo Cars stands for, and this is further proof of our continuing leadership in the field of both active and passive safety systems. Our vision is that by 2020 no-one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car. With the latest safety and semi-autonomous drive functionalities in the XC90, we are well on our way to fulfilling that vision.”

The Euro NCAP announcement, which celebrates the “outstanding performance” of the XC90 comes hot on the heels of a host of prestigious awards the new SUV has collected in recent months, including the What Car? Safety Award, Motor Trend Car of the Year, North American Truck of the Year and the Auto Express Car of the Year to name but a few.

Sales of the XC90, which continue to outpace production capacity, have had a seismic effect on the Swedish premium car maker’s transformation journey. In 2015 sales reached an all-time high, with more than 503,000 cars sold.