VOLVO is well regarded as an automaker of safe cars and crossovers. But this Swedish brand has evolved into a maker of distinctively styled and safe vehicles.

Its latest effort is the compact XC60, a five-passenger crossover that is a step smaller than its XC90 crossover. Inside, the XC60 seems more of a midsize for interior space and cargo capacity.

The XC60 is sold in two models with front- or all-wheel drive with two in-line six-cylinder engines, which run on regular, not premium, fuel and one six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission.

The standard 3.2 model starts at $33,245 and has a 235-horsepower, 3.2-litre engine, which has fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg city and 27 highway or 16/22 with AWD, a $2,000 option.

The turbocharged XC60 T6 AWD, today’s test car, starts at $38,650, which included the panoramic roof and sunroof ($1,200) for free as an introductory offer. Scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles is also free.

I did not love driving the XC60 at first. It seemed deliberate and almost overprotective. But before long I felt wrapped and cared for in this vault of high-strength steel and its safety network. And that is when engineering, technology and design merge to form value.

The XC60 debuts Volvo’s new City Safety feature, an initiative to save lives one carload at a time. If you spend hours a week commuting in nose-to-tail traffic, you need this safety system. In speeds of 0 to 8 mph, it will automatically brake the vehicle to help avoid a rear-ender, and at speeds up to 19 mph, it will lessen the impact.

Think about that the next your cellphone falls off the seat or your mega-latte sloshes onto your slacks and it takes a split second for you to look and grab. According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 80 per cent of all crashes and 65 percent of all near-crashes involved the driver looking away from the road, typically within three seconds of impact.

The Technology Package ($1,695) overlays more safety options, such as Collision Warning With Auto Brake, adaptive cruise control, distance alert, lane-departure warning and driver-alert control, which monitors the car’s progress between the lane markings and alerts the driver if his or her driving pattern is erratic or slightly uncontrolled.

The daily commute can be the cruellest part of work, but getting there in the XC60 is not just safe, it is its own “traffic calmed” area.

The colours, textures and materials in Volvo’s interior design are always tasteful and artfully presented — in a cool-birch, double-stitched-leather Swedish style. There is durable plastic where it is needed, such as on the lower door panels, and vinyl strips on top of and at the face of the rear bumper to resist scrapes and grocery-cart scuffs.

Volvo is an innovator of clever features. Among them on the XC60 is the second-row head restraint that slides down when not needed to give the driver an unobstructed rear view. Child booster seats, one each at the rear window seats, operate with a one-hand motion to lock into position. The security of knowing those seats are factory-tested is worth the option price of $495. Also standard is HD Radio, which digitally improves broadcast quality, Volvo says. The sound system includes AUX and USB inputs to allow connection of other media players. The Multimedia Package ($2,700) in the test car added a Dynaudio sound system that cranked out symphonic quality. Also in the package are a rearview camera and navigation system with Real Time traffic, remote control and DVD map data.

Volvo also has one of the best controllers for its navigation system. The inputs are made on a small control pad behind the right steering-wheel spoke. There is a small joystick, a “back” button and an “enter” button. The idea is for the driver to not take his hands off the wheel. There is also a remote feature so the passenger can make changes.

While just about 7 inches shorter than the seven-passenger XC90, the XC60 has 2 inches more back-seat legroom and generous cargo capacity without having to fold the seats.

The T6 fuel economy seems challenged at 16/22, but this safety shell weighs in at a sturdy 4,174 pounds. And with its 281-horsepower, 3-litresix, there was no turbo lag preceding a lunge of acceleration. The pull of power was steady through the rpm range.

With 9.1 inches of ground clearance, the XC60 is intended to go where cars should not while pulling a boat, travel trailer and other toys. New this year is Trailer Stability Assist, which helps reduce the “snaking” motion by electronically braking one or more wheels and decreasing engine power. All-wheel drive features “Instant Traction” and Hill Descent Controls. The system works with electronic stability control to give more control in throttle lift-off situations, which can induce a spin or rear-end instability at very inopportune moments.

Clever engineering and safety features come at a cost of weight and price. And while the XC60 may seem pricey, its “popularly equipped” price is comparable with those of such vehicles as the Acura RDX, Audi Q5 and BMW X3.

(Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at Mark.Maynard@uniontrib.com.)