June 5, 2025 – In a bold step forward for automotive safety, Volvo Cars has announced the introduction of a groundbreaking safety innovation: the world’s first multi-adaptive safety belt. Set to debut in the fully electric Volvo EX60 launching in 2026, this next-generation safety belt is engineered to deliver personalized protection in real-world driving situations.
Smart Safety Tailored to You
Unlike traditional seatbelts, Volvo’s new system uses real-time data from both inside and outside the vehicle to adapt to each occupant’s body profile and the current driving scenario. Whether it’s a tall adult in a high-impact collision or a smaller passenger in a minor crash, the belt adjusts accordingly to provide the safest possible restraint. It factors in elements like height, weight, body shape, and seating posture to determine the optimal force level.
This innovation drastically expands the number of load-limiting profiles – from three in standard systems to eleven – offering a more tailored and effective response during accidents. The goal: reduce the risk of injuries like rib fractures or head trauma by fine-tuning how the belt behaves in every unique crash.
A Safety Milestone Decades in the Making
This development builds on over 50 years of Volvo’s safety research and real-world crash data involving more than 80,000 individuals. It represents a major evolution of the three-point safety belt – a Volvo invention first introduced in 1959 that has saved over a million lives globally.
“The multi-adaptive safety belt is a major leap forward in occupant protection,” says Åsa Haglund, Head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “By using real-time data to customise safety, we’re opening up a new era of intelligent protection on the road.”
Always Evolving with Over-the-Air Updates
Like the best modern technology, this safety belt doesn’t stand still. Thanks to over-the-air software updates, the system will continue to evolve, learning from new data and adapting to emerging scenarios to keep passengers even safer over time.
Integrated with Volvo’s Safety Ecosystem
The multi-adaptive belt works in concert with the vehicle’s airbags, driver assistance systems, and occupant monitoring technologies to create a harmonised safety environment. This synergy not only enhances effectiveness but also helps prevent secondary injuries after an initial crash event.
Tested and refined at the renowned Volvo Cars Safety Centre – now celebrating 25 years of advanced crash testing – this innovation reflects Volvo’s ongoing mission to develop cars that protect all people equally in real-life conditions.
With this new technology, Volvo Cars reaffirms its leadership in safety, bringing the future of intelligent protection one step closer to reality.
