The Volvo XC60 has now been added to the list of cars recommended by the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association for its good interior air quality. Four Volvo models are now featured in the association's list of recommended cars.

Previously the S80, V70 and XC70 were recommended by the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association. Now the XC60 has been added too.

In order to ensure that the air entering the passenger compartment is as clean as possible, Volvo Cars has developed two systems, IAQS (Interior Air Quality System) and CZIP (Clean Zone Interior Package). These systems are important to allergy-sufferers. In the industrialized world, it is estimated that 45 percent of the population suffer from asthma or some form of hyper-sensitivity.

In the XC60 the amount of nickel that is released from metallic surfaces has been minimised. Examples are the interior door handles and the Volvo badges in the steering wheel and gear knob.

Instead of chrome, a natural plant extract is used in the tanning of the car's leather trim. All the textiles and all the leather in the XC60 - and in Volvo's other models - meet the requirements in the Oeko-Tex Standard 100.

What is more, the Volvo XC60 is RRR-certified (Reuse, Recycling, Recovery). This model is Volvo's first to be type-approved with regard to recycling. In order to secure this approval, the car manufacturer must show how the car is recycled at the end of its life.

The Volvo XC60 was unveiled in Geneva last spring. Sales get under way later this year.