IRVINE, CA - Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, announced that its upcoming entry in the small premium utility segment, the XC60, will be a 2010 model-year. Set to arrive in Volvo retailers in March, the 2010 XC60 will be offered as a single well-equipped T6 AWD model featuring 281 horsepower and standard all-wheel drive with Instant Traction. Final pricing is expected to be announced late January with a base MSRP of less than $40,000.

The XC60 introduces City Safety, a driver support system aimed at preventing or mitigating collisions occurring at speeds of 19 mph or less. It utilizes a closing velocity sensor to help determine whether a collision is likely. Depending on the closing speed, City Safety will either pre-charge the brakes or automatically brake the XC60 to help avoid a rear-end collision or lessen its impact.

The XC60 is Volvo's first all-new carline to offer HD Radio as standard equipment updating radio to digital quality. FM broadcast quality improves to the level of a typical CD while AM broadcast quality is improved to the prior level of FM. The XC60's standard high performance sound system includes AUX and USB inputs to allow connection and control of personal music devices such as iPods, memory sticks, and other media players.