MANILA, Philippines - Attorney Albert Arcilla drives the all-new Volvo XC70 Diesel AWD. As the president and CEO of Viking Cars, the exclusive distributor of Volvo in the country, he says this car is his perfect match. ?It?s very versatile. I can use it going to work or to social functions on weekdays and still have fun with it going outdoors on the weekends. It?s diesel, too, so I can save up on fuel costs and since we have one of the cleanest engines, I drive with a clear conscience knowing that I help reduce harmful emissions by using a Volvo.?

Arcilla is very proud of his brand?s principles. ?Our promise?we design cars for a better life?is a unique offer in the premium segment and sets us apart from our competitors. Volvo has always been a ?WE? brand and this means we focus on safety, care for the environment and an overall human-centric approach to designing cars.?

Volvo heritage

Volvo has had a long history of putting safety as its priority. ?The founders of Volvo, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson, came from a party and got into an accident. Because they got into an accident, they realized they should design cars that should protect people,? Arcilla said.

Since 1927, Volvo has been rolling out car models that have been keeping people safe. ?That?s the Volvo heritage?caring for the lives of drivers and passengers,? he added. ?The Volvo philosophy is ?Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is?and must remain?safety.?? This encompasses more than just collision tests and rankings on various lists. It represents genuine care for people, their lives and well-being.?

Volvo?s safety philosophy has led to many innovations?like the dual-stage airbag and the three-point safety belt, a Volvo invention that they have shared with the world.

30 percent safer

An independent Swedish crash-test agency called Folksam used data from real-life accidents and determined that in accidents, passengers in a Volvo are 30 percent safer than if they were in an average car. But Arcilla is quick to stress that Volvo?s commitment doesn?t end with crash tests and ratings.? All premium brands have a leading edge?ours is safety. Our clients expect this from us, therefore we continue to create innovative and tangible safety solutions. Safety is our biggest asset and we have set a challenging goal that by 2020 no one will be killed or injured in a Volvo. That is why we continue to improve and develop safety solutions and collaborate with people to achieve this goal.?

Volvo always keeps in mind the safety of families that ride their cars.

Pregnant crash-test dummy

?We put more emphasis on comfort and safety of our passengers, most especially children. That?s why we ensure Volvo?s safety research examines how we can make our cars safer for everyone who travels in them?from adults to teenagers, children to babies and even those who aren?t even born yet.? This has led to the creation of a computer model of a pregnant crash-test dummy. ?This dummy simulates the body of a woman in the latter stages of pregnancy, when the risk of injury to an unborn baby is at its greatest,? said Arcilla.

Volvo?s safety concerns also extend to pedestrians, other cars their cars will meet on the road and even the environment.

Arcilla believes people are being smarter about their car choices. ?There used to be a time people would choose cars on the basis of cool. But what can be cooler than knowing you?re safe and secure? That?s why our engines are fast, that?s why you can drive fast, because you?re secure.?

Selling safety, not cars

Every year, Volvo sells 300 cars in the Philippines. But Volvo doesn?t just sell cars, just safety. ?We have observed through our 14 years in the Philippines that Filipinos have evolved when it comes to their criteria in choosing cars. Before, a car was just a vehicle to take them from point A to point B but over the years, people have become more specific in looking for features that can benefit them. Filipinos tend to be family-oriented and Volvo always has put weight on addressing the concerns of families,? said Arcilla.

When asked why people should choose Volvo, he said, ?They should understand that it?s a premium car designed with them in mind. Our cars are a way to reward themselves. This means they expect a premium quality product and they want to be treated with a higher level of personal service. We give them this unique Volvo car-ownership experience and that is where they see and appreciate the difference.?