Their secret is a laser guidance system that spots vehicles in front that are too close or stopping suddenly. When it does, the XC60 will stop of its own accord to avoid a smash.

Called the CitySafety system, it operates thanks to a laser sensor built into the windscreen.

It kicks in at speeds of up to 20mph and Volvo believe it will result in a drop of around half of rear-end smashes.

The laser simply scans up to six yards ahead and continually monitors the difference in speed between you and the car in front.

Incredibly, it makes 50 calculations a second to determine the braking force needed to avoid a bump.