All new Volvos will have a 180km/h speed limit
Derryn Wong
21/05/2020
All new cars from the Swedish brand will have a 180km/h and new Care Key which allows you to toggle lower limits
Gothenburg, Sweden
Swedish car maker Volvo announced yesterday that all of its new models will come with a lower speed limit – 180km/h – and a new Care Key, which allows you to dictate even lower limits.
Currently its cars have ‘European-style’ speed limits, that is, they’re electronically limited if they can top 250km/h . For example the current model Volvo V60 T4 has a 240km/h top speed.
The new measures are part of the company’s drive toward engineering cars that will help ensure zero traffic fatalities or serious injuries.
The 180km/h limit doesn’t mean much for Singapore of course – that’s already twice the highest speeds allowed here, which is 90km/h on the expressways.
Neither will this be news at all to drivers of Japanese cars, which have long had a lower 160km/h speed limit (for its JDM, non-performance, and right-hand drive models anyway).
READ MORE: Volvo’s S60 is good enough to give the BMW 3 Series cause to pause – though the wagon V60 is even better
The Safety Key is a good thing to have in Singapore, though. It allows you to set your own (lower than 180km/h, that is) speed limit, which would be good for example, if newly-minted drivers are driving.
As for excitement and the need for speed, Volvo doesn’t mind losing some buyers if it means more safety, which is quite an admirable stance to take.
“Volvo Cars believes it has an obligation to continue its tradition of being a pioneer in the discussion around the rights and obligations of car makers to take action that can ultimately save lives, even if this means losing potential customers,” it said in its press release.
It’s all part of Volvo’s initiatives as an extra-safety oriented car company, as we well know it’s not only a pioneer in automotive safety tech, but also a leader in this field too.
But it’s also worth noting that speed limits, in general, are being more closely looked at, now with a view to reducing emissions.
Higher speeds mean more drag, and it’s diminishing returns the faster you go – hence why Bugatti’s Chiron needs more than 1,000hp to hit 450-plus km/h, but a Ferrari F8 ‘only’ needs 700-ish horsepower to get to 360km/h.
Even Germany’s Autobahn unlimited sections, which have long been seen as untouchable and representative symbol of a driver’s primal Need For Speed, hasn’t been without challenge or controversy (PDF).
About the Author
Derryn Wong
CarBuyer's former chief editor was previously the editor for Top Gear Singapore and a presenter for CNA's Cruise Control motoring segment.
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