Volvo Cars Debuts World’s First Multi-Adaptive Safety Belt in EX60

Abu Dhabi : Volvo Cars has unveiled a new breakthrough in vehicle safety with the world’s first multi-adaptive safety belt. It will come with its fully electric EX60 model in 2026.

• This is a first-of-its-kind belt that adapts to passengers and crash scenarios.
• It makes use of real-time sensor data for personalised protection.
• The belt settings increase from 3 to 11 load-limiting profiles.

Volvo Cars, which is popular for its long-standing focus on safety, has announced a new innovation – the world’s first multi-adaptive safety belt. This new technology will make its debut in the Volvo EX60 that's ready to launch in 2026.

The company has engineered the belt to adapt to real-world traffic conditions and the characteristics of each individual occupant using real-time data from the vehicle’s advanced sensors.

Data-Driven Personal Protection

Volvo’s multi-adaptive belt, unlike traditional safety belts, uses exterior and interior sensors to adjust its settings according to the scenario of crash and the person that wears it. These include data points like height, weight, posture, and position of seat. Here’s how it adapts:

• A larger occupant in a serious crash gets a higher belt load to help reduce head injuries.
• A smaller passenger in a minor crash receives a lower belt load to avoid rib damage.
• The system identifies the direction of crash, speed, and posture of the passenger in milliseconds.
• It then applies the most suitable load-limiting profile out of eleven available settings.

This is a major leap from the usual three-profile limiters in modern cars, as it offers a more flexible, situation-aware response in seconds.

Powered by Real-Time Insights and Software Updates

Volvo Cars has used decades of research and data from over 80,000 real-life accidents to come with its latest safety innovation. The multi-adaptive belt builds on this foundation and it strengthens Volvo’s vision to build equally safe cars for everyone.

What makes this belt stand out even more is its ability to get better over time. Volvo, with over-the-air software updates, can continue to upgrade the system as more crash data and user insights become available.

Part of a Larger Safety Ecosystem

This new safety belt is one element in Volvo’s broader safety system. They have designed it to work together with airbags, driver assist tech, and occupant detection tools. Together, these systems help create a harmonised response during a crash, so as to reduce injuries and protect people better than before.

The belt has been tested and developed at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre crash lab, which celebrates 25 years of helping shape the future of vehicle safety. In this facility, Volvo runs crash simulations that exceed standard tests to ensure they prepare their vehicles for real-world accidents and not just test scenarios.

A New Chapter in Seat Belt Evolution

Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre, said: “The multi-adaptive safety belt, which is the first in the world, is another milestone for automotive safety. It is also a great example of how we leverage real-time data with the ambition to help save millions of more lives.”

Volvo, with this innovation, has again reaffirmed its place as a global leader in road safety. This comes after more than six decades of introducing the three-point safety belt that changed the world.