Is the Volvo XC90 the safest car in the world?

The Volvo XC90 R-Design (Volvo)

Some automakers are renowned for producing safe vehicles, and Volvo is probably regarded as one of the most safety-conscious manufacturers. And now a study in the U.K. shows that the Volvo XC90 in particular could make a claim for even being called the safest vehicle in the world.

Experts from Thatcham Research in the U.K. have been analyzing official government accident statistics provided by the police and cross-matching them against insurance data. The analysis shows there isn't a single record of a driver or passenger ever being fatally injured in an XC90 between 2004 and 2017, which are the earliest and latest years where figures are currently available.

Over the years the Volvo XC90 has often been heralded as one of the safest vehicles money can buy, and it's received many accolades from various bodies around the world for its safety credentials and many other attributes over its lifespan. This new analysis of official accident figures appears to more than validate what many have suspected for years, which is that the XC90 is about as safe as vehicles get.

Speaking to the U.K.'s Auto Express publication, Thatcham's director of research, Matthew Avery, said: "Often when a vehicle is new, you don't see fatalities, as it takes time for models to build up sales numbers. But we have around 14 years' history of the XC90, and that stands out."

Although the XC90 doesn't sell in the same numbers as the likes of the Ford Focus and other volume cars, around 54,000 of the Volvo have been sold in the U.K. since its launch in 2002. The data gathered therefore applies to the original model and the current one that was launched in 2014. The Mark 1 therefore accounts for the majority of those years without a fatality, which is probably even more impressive as the newer model has ramped-up the safety features even further.

Avery added: "The old XC90 is very good. In terms of people being killed, in 14 years, I can't see any."