The S60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Avalon Hybrid doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.
Both the S60 and Avalon Hybrid have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S60 Plus/Ultimate has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Avalon Hybrid’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.
The S60 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Avalon Hybrid doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the S60 has standard Cross Traffic Alert with Braking Intervention, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Avalon Hybrid Limited, and isn't offered on other Avalon Hybrid models.
The S60’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Avalon Hybrid doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the S60 and the Avalon Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo S60 is safer than the Toyota Avalon Hybrid:
|
S60 |
Avalon Hybrid |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
25.7% |
35% |
Neck Stress |
189 lbs. |
220 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
395/518 lbs. |
499/567 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
Chest Compression |
.7 inches |
.8 inches |
Neck Stress |
146 lbs. |
180 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
360/533 lbs. |
447/453 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volvo S60 is safer than the Toyota Avalon Hybrid:
|
S60 |
Avalon Hybrid |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
103 |
163 |
Hip Force |
212 lbs. |
318 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
575 lbs. |
686 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
13 inches |
13 inches |
Spine Acceleration |
29 G’s |
38 G’s |
Hip Force |
490 lbs. |
719 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the S60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Avalon Hybrid is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.