Nissan receive top IIHS safety ratings

Both of the eco-friendly models received ‘good’ ratings for front, rear, side and rollover protection.
The Nissan LEAF fully-electric vehicle comes with an electronic stability control program as standard, and even with a load of batteries on board the car offered ample protection in all areas.
The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is also equipped with an electronic stability control program as standard which helped it offer adequate protection in all areas.
IIHS chief administrative officer, Joe Nolan, recently spoke about the achievements of the electric vehicles, saying,
“What powers the wheels is different, but the level of safety for the Volt and LEAF is as high as any of our other top crash test performers.
“The way an electric or hybrid model earns top crash test ratings is the same way any other car does. Its structure must manage crash damage so the occupant compartment stays intact and the safety belts and airbags keep people from hitting hard surfaces in and out of the vehicle.”

It just goes to show that new technology vehicles are developed without compromising existing standards of safety and equipment.

Volvo S60

So what of Sweden, and its oddball automobiles? Once upon a time, they were durable, strong like oxen, but austere in a way that could only be engineered within the confines of a socialist welfare state, which subjugates individuality in the name of the collective good.
‘SPORTY’ AND ‘VOLVO’ NO LONGER MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE

Eventually the “box on wheels” thing got old, and Volvos got a little more interesting. Along the way there were turbocharged variants of the 850, which were varying degrees of arousing, as well as the S60 and V70R, laden with goodies like turbochargers and adjustable shocks, but ineffectual in their quest to make a dent in the German heavyweights.

The eternal problem with sporty Volvos has been their resemblance to the well-known IKEA breakfast. Less expensive than its continental counterpart, it’s also not particularly flavorful and much of its appeal comes from sheer novelty. But if the old S60 was like the mealy, grey meatballs served by the flat pack furniture chain, the new 2011 model is like the Carl Gustaf anti-tank weapon – a simple looking grey metal tube that is capable of destroying far superior weaponry.

Kia Optima SX Turbo

And the 2011 Sorento, the first U.S.-built Kia, became the first of its products to break the 100,000 sales mark in one year.
Kia credits its success with a "design-led transformation." We hear that a lot, but in Kia's case you can actually see what it's referring to when you look at vehicles like the Sorento and Sportage SUVs, not to mention the Forte coupe and the Soul utility box.Its latest attempt to draw some attention through design is the 2011 Kia Optima, a midsize family sedan that offers Kia's first turbocharged engine in the U.S. In addition to the forced-induction engine, the Optima SX also features flashy 18-inch "pie-plate" wheels and chiseled bodywork that suggest it's more than your average family sedan.Four Cylinders and a Turbocharger
And the Optima SX Turbo delivers indeed. With 274 horsepower available at 6,000 rpm and 269 pound-feet of torque at 1,750, its 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder has slap-you-out-of-your-midsize-sedan-doldrums capability. If the drivetrain and its power output sound eerily familiar to the 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T we previously tested, call yourself a genius. It is, of course, but Kia officials are quick to point out that the Optima SX uses "different engine and transmission tuning."