UK COTY - SMALL HATCHBACK - Citroen takes title with multi award winning Cactus.

The New Citroën C4 Cactus has been voted ‘Small Hatchback of the Year’ in the UK Car of the Year Awards 2015. The awards are presented annually by an independent panel of UK journalists who vote for the best new cars on sale in the UK. The winners are announced to coincide with the arrival of the new vehicle registration plate in March.

The Citroën C4 Cactus has been named ‘Small Hatchback of the Year’ in the 2015 UK Car of the Year Awards (UKCOTY). The awards are voted for by an independent judging panel of expert motoring journalists, who are proud to offer impartial advice that is specifically aimed at the British car-buying public.  

The awards are judged across 12 categories, with the winners being selected by professional journalists who are experts in various sectors of the automotive industry. Many of the judges will test drive more than 300 cars per year and reach a combined audience of over 80 million consumers.

The bold and distinctive Citroën C4 Cactus won over the judges in the highly-prized small hatchback category thanks to a variety of attributes, including its “genuine innovation” in this sector. The C4 Cactus is described as “the quirkiest car of the year” with “refreshing looks” and “a sense of fun.”

In addition to this latest accolade from the UKCOTY judging panel, the New C4 Cactus has been presented with a variety of industry awards since its launch in September 2014, including BBC TopGear Magazine ‘Hatchback of the Year’. The New Citroën C4 Cactus is also shortlisted with 6 other finalists for the 2015 European Car of the Year Award.  

QUOTE, UNQUOTE: COMMENTS FROM THE UKCOTY JUDGING PANEL

Tom Ford

“For so long the small hatch has been the place where manufacturers play it safe with styling, afraid to push the boundaries. But no more. The Cactus might be based on humble bones, but the styling and ethos of simplicity are a true breath of fresh air. Making an expensive car appealing is easy – making a cheap car with character is hard.”

Chris Russon

“A great all rounder. Quirky looks, but very functional.”

Alex Goy

“Citroën’s C4 Cactus is a funky French car that doesn't deal in pretention. It deals with the 'eco' issues by being uncomplicated and light, not overly fussy with eco tech as heavier cars would be. The air bumps offer a fun, though aesthetically divisive, solution to the rigors of family life too. Looks the biz and drives nicely.”

Richard Yarrow

“Genuine innovation, great design and honest in its qualities.”

David Ross

“Citroën is back to doing what it does best, making quirky and stylish cars with family appeal.”

Olivia Gauch

“The quirky styling with the Airbump technology makes this car so appealing to buyers. Always refreshing to see something look so different that stands out on the roads. It is also well-priced, comfortable and has a good range of engines available.”

Simon Harris  

“The car is distinctive, attractive, inexpensive to buy and run, and injects a sense of fun into a sector whose products often lack the first and last of those ingredients.”

Matt Joy

“A genuine attempt to reinvent the small car; finally a vehicle that obviously wasn’t honed at the Nurburgring, and is all the better for it.”

Alisdair Suttie

“Quirky, fun and affordable, the C4 Cactus is also practical, safe and all the things a great Citroën – and small hatch – should be.”

Paul Barker
“Exactly the car Citroën should be doing and the kind of thing no other manufacturer is capable of doing. Very efficient, clever and innovative.”

Graeme Lambert
“More innovation from the French. It’s in danger of becoming another ‘journalists’ car, but the Cactus is genuinely different, and like Citroëns of old to drive.”

Guy Bird
“The most original affordable small car launched for years, with a genuinely innovative exterior and a thoughtfully designed interior.”

John Challen – UKCOTY Editor & Managing Director

“Proof that daring to be different when it comes to styling can work. An impressive vehicle to drive and spend time in as well.”

How to crash test a car the Volvo way, now we know why they are so safe.

Volvo Cars’ safety expert Anders Axelson knows that brilliant ideas can pop up in the strangest of circumstances. A visit to Legoland with his twin daughters in 2007 inspired Anders to turn an amusement park ride into an efficient test method in Volvo Cars’ quest for better protection in run-off road crashes.

“Watching people being thrown in all directions during a ride in the ‘Robocoaster’, I suddenly realised that those rapid, random movements resembled the violent forces occupants in a run-off road crash are exposed to,” says Anders Axelson.

Run-off road crashes had been on Anders’ mind since 2006 when Volvo Cars intensified the development of technology to help protect car occupants in these common and complex scenarios.

Based on real-life accident data, Anders Axelson’s team initiated three complete vehicle crash test track methods, called ‘Ditch’, ‘Airborne’ and ‘Rough terrain’, for evaluating the consequences of various run-off road scenarios.

Analysing films from a large number of these tests confirmed that being thrown out of the ideal, firmly strapped-in seat position correlates well with potential injury-causing mechanisms seen in real-world crashes.

Searching for a test method

“The engineers developed promising solutions to actively retract the occupants in order to keep them in position. But since running complete cars into the terrain is a time-consuming and expensive test method, we needed a quicker and cheaper solution to evaluate the ideas,” Anders Axelson recalls.

The stroke of genius conveniently came on a family trip to Legoland in Denmark. At the time, Anders’s twin girls were too small for the ‘Robocoaster’, but after watching other kids being shaken by the robot arm, he realised that the ride had potential beyond making kids scream with joy.

Back at the office, Anders started searching for a similar robot that could be programmed to mimic the exact movement patterns that Volvo Cars had recorded during the complete vehicle run-off road crash tests.

Unique test rig

“The industrial robot manufacturer ABB had the technology and the knowledge to programme a machine designed for precision work to move a car seat around in a seemingly random pattern. It worked brilliantly,” says Anders Axelson.

A vehicle seat and restraint system is mounted on the multi-axial industrial robot. The robot, which is used together with a crash test dummy, can be programmed to simulate the occupant kinematics during crucial parts of run-off road scenarios.

During the development work of the all-new XC90 and upcoming cars based on the company’s new scalable architecture, Volvo Cars’ own ‘Robocoaster’ has been used to find the combination of safety belt geometry, rapid belt retraction and seat design that helps keep the occupant firmly in position in run-off road scenarios.

World-first run-off road safety solution

The result is a world-first run-off road protection package that includes rapid electrical safety belt retraction as well as unique ‘energy-absorbing’ functionality in the seat that cushions the vertical forces that occur in a ‘hard landing’ in the terrain.

“The most valuable result from the ‘Robocoaster’ tests is probably the insight into how well the safety belt retraction interacts with the enhanced side support in our new seat generation,” says Anders Axelson.

By the way, Anders Axelson never went on the ‘Robocoaster’ ride during that visit to Legoland. “No way. Violent rides like that make me sick,” he says with a smile.

Orders now being taken for Volco's new XC90 Sports Utility Vehicle.

• Volvo’s Gothenburg factory accepts new orders for the first vehicle from the new SPA platform
• Order system opens with an influx of pre-orders placed at dealers
• New engine and options now available from preview customer feedback

Volvo Car Corporation has opened the order books for the all-new Volvo XC90, the first vehicle to be built on its brand new in-house designed and built chassis, using its own in-house designed and built engines.

Amongst the first orders to be placed are the lucky 1927 owners of the First Edition, 53 of them being from the UK.  Customers who have already placed orders at dealers will have their order accepted by the factory and become the some of the first owners to have their vehicle delivered.

Having been able to preview the all-new XC90 to a number of customers and from feedback already received, a number of additions have been made available to order. Principle changes have been the introduction into the UK of the 320hp T6 petrol engine and the addition in the availability of the auxiliary heater on the D5. The auxiliary heater, standard on the T8 Twin Engine, allows the driver to pre-condition the vehicle cabin to a set temperature so that it is ready for when the car is required.

Design

The XC90 will be built on Volvo’s brand new SPA chassis. Designed under the leadership of Thomas Ingenlath, the new vehicle shows the new design direction of Volvo Cars, together with its new interior and centre-piece, the tablet style centre touchscreen. 

Engines

The XC90 is the first car to be powered solely by Volvo’s new Drive-E engine range. Available to order from launch with either an all-wheel-drive (AWD) D5 225hp diesel, an AWD T6 320hp petrol or an AWD T8 Twin Engine petrol plug-in hybrid with 400hp.

First Edition

The all-new Volvo XC90 First Edition was sold exclusively on-line and was sold out within 47 hours, at peak time seven cars were sold every minute. Only 1927 cars were made available, a celebration of the year that Volvo was founded, all in one specification level and in the same exterior colour and interior upholstery.

The new Volvo XC90 R-Design a truly sporty and dynamic look.

Volvo Cars has released the first images of the R-Design version of the all new XC90, aimed at buyers looking for a head-turner that radiates a truly sporty and dynamic look.

“R-Design is created for people with a passion for things that add spice to life,” said Alain Visser, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service of Volvo Car Group. “It appeals to customers that love active driving and a personal, expressive design. Every single R-Design detail is designed to contribute to the individualistic and refined expression these customers desire.”

The visual promise of a dynamic ride is confirmed by the driver-centric interior featuring R-Design Contour sports seats in Nubuck and perforated leather. A choice of Drive-E powertrains offering up to 400 hp and the completely new XC90 chassis ensure an agile driving experience.

The release of the R-Design follows Volvo’s release of 1,927 individually numbered black First Edition XC90’s which were offered for sale exclusively online and sold out in 47 hours.

Distinctive R-Design detailing

The R-Design exterior includes a number of distinguishing details, such as grille, front spoiler, silk metal window surround, integrated dual exhausts, integrated silver roof rails and silver matt mirror covers. 20-inch R-Design alloy wheels complete the stylish, dynamic look.

Inside, gearshift paddles, plus the Contour sports seats and perforated leather steering wheel and gearshift knob are accompanied by special R-Design details, such as sports seats, pedals, floor mats and illuminated tread plates. The driver also gets an exclusive R-Design leather key remote control.

Tablet-like touch screen

The tablet-like touch screen in the centre and a 12.3-inch fully graphical driver display are of course included in the R-Design. The driver display also features a unique R-Design theme. The heart of the all-new in-car control is virtually button free and represents an entirely new way for drivers to operate their car and access a range of Internet and cloud based products and services.

New trim level strategy

The core of the new XC90 range will be the Momentum model. Above this sits two separate branches – for a sports-inspired look and feel, the R-Design offers exclusive features and design detailing. Meanwhile, for an elegant look and an even more luxurious experience, customers can opt for the richly equipped Inscription model.

“In principle, we have replaced the previous top level with the Inscription and R-Design versions. Both of them feature an elevated content, carefully chosen to emphasise each of their distinctive individual personalities,” said Alain Visser.