Volvo V40 (with V40 Driver Support Pack) is the SAFEST used car you can buy

The Volvo V40, when fitted with Volvo’s Driver Support Pack, is the safest used car buy in the UK, winning the inaugural ‘Co-op Safe Used Car 2016’ award.

If car buyers were asked what they thought the safest car on the road was, most would probably choose a Volvo. And that includes Co-op Insurance who have just given the Volvo V40 the ‘Co-op Safe Used Car 2016’ award in their inaugural awards.

But the Co-op didn’t just ask their customers what they thought, they enlisted Thatcham Research to dig through what’s on the used car market and what they offered, with only cars which had a 5 Star Euro NCAP rating, emissions of 120g/km or lower and costing under £15k used being eligible.

In some ways the Volvo’s win was almost a given, as it had already received the highest ever Euro NCAP score, and was one of the first cars to have Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) as standard as part of Volvo’s City Safe, and also the first car to get a pedestrian airbag.

When we reviewed the Volvo V40 in 2012, we concluded it was a great premium hatch, and that with Volvo’s Driver Support Pack – a then £1850 option adding BLIS , pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise with distance alert, lane keep aid with driver alert and speed limit display and collision warning with auto brake – it offered real peace of mind for ferrying your family.

James Hilton, the man from the Co-op, said:

The Volvo V40 was awarded the accolade because it is a perfect example of a reasonably priced car that has a large number of safety features as standard, even on older models.

It has a five-star Euro NCAP rating and provides good protection in a crash for the driver and front passenger, as well as children. Where it really shines, though, is in the standard of collision-avoidance technology available.

So don’t just take our advice on the safest premium hatch to ferry your brood, listen to the man from the Co-op too.

But what the man from the Co-op doesn’t say is that the Volvo V40 is actually a great premium hatch as well as being the safest used car.