Modern, lightweight three-door vehicle concepts, like the new Volvo 480, demand a special approach in the development of their rear end crash properties. With this type of car designers encounter special issues, mainly caused by the limited permissible deformation area in respect of the interior compartment, the fuel tank the spare wheel and other components.

In order to develop the Volvo 480 efficiently from the viewpoint of its rcar end crash behaviour, different techniques were used. Some of these techniques are common practice in the automotive industry, others are less usual. The latter techniques are the subject of this paper.