...AND CHEAPER...:

Short of turning the XC90 into a fully autonomous car, Volvo has used every driverless tool at its disposal. Radar-based cruise control keeps the vehicle a safe distance from traffic ahead. Cameras monitor traffic lines for automatic lane centering. If the car senses you're letting it drift, it vibrates the steering wheel. Radar scans your blind spots, so if you attempt to merge into an occupied lane, an alarm sounds and lights in the side mirror flash.

A lot of that technology has found its way into other vehicles too. But the XC90 takes auto­­mation a step further, into the realm of artificial intelligence. It has software that learns your driving tendencies and, by monitoring your steering, braking, and acceleration patterns, can catch your mistakes before they turn deadly. The car compares your behavior to previous drives. So, if you start jerking the wheel, the center console will flash a text warning advising you to take a break. It's also the first SUV in the world to automatically brake if it's headed toward an oncoming car, cyclist, or pedestrian. The car does this with windshield-mounted radar that scans more than 600 feet ahead, night or day, rain or shine. If a collision is imminent, it will brake even if the driver is pressing the gas.

All of these innovations make the XC90 SUV the crown jewel of Volvo's audacious in-house pledge to eradicate death and serious injury in all of its vehicles by 2020. As such, it even protects you against other drivers' recklessness. 

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