Way, way long ago, we made mention of Volvo’s new CUV, the XC60. The tiny ute has been making waves with a neat new bit of tech called City Safety where the vehicle will actually stop itself in the event of an imminent fender bender. Before you start having big brother-esque thoughts, don’t worry. The XC60 isn’t interested in driving itself, only saving you from embarrassing (and expensive) parking-lot nudges. The system only activates below 15 mph, and it waits until the absolute last second to activate, giving you as much time as physically possible to avoid the collision yourself. That’s neat and all, but it’s not the best thing about Volvo’s new super-ute. Hop the jump to see what we think of the safest car the company has ever built.

First things first. At some point, Volvo’s designers and engineers missed the memo that the company’s products aren’t supposed to be beautiful. In the past, the Swedish carmaker has been a purveyor of big, boxy, tank-like vehicles that could withstand a nuclear blast before they caught anyone’s eye, so what gives with the XC60? I’ve never been a huge fan of the SUV school of design, but Volvo’s really managed to make it work here. The relatively long, upfront nose benefits from a leaning hood line and sculpted fenders, and the large, wrap-around headlights incorporate a slight eyebrow that adds a little taste of attitude to the equation. Tucked in the front bumper, a set of LED driving lights are a smart desing detail. Out back, gorgeous tail lights trace all the way to the roof, and the forward-leaning rear glass gives the XC60 a sporty taste. Massive 17 or 18 inch wheels round out the package.

As cool as the exterior is, Volvo’s outdone itself inside. Beautiful cream and brown leather is everywhere you look, and brushed accents on the door handles and center stack work well. Speaking of the center stack, Volvo’s airy unit is a smart touch with its real-wood inlay. The driver gets treated to easy-to read gauges with floating needles, though the navigation interface is awkwardly located behind the steering wheel. We would prefer a touch-screen unit. A separate LCD screen communicates information on climate control and audio selections, meaning you don’t have to pick navigation over other information on the dash.

Speaking of audio, Volvo’s equipped the XC60 with a bagnin’ high performance system that will absolutely run you out of the cabin. We love it, especially when pumping tunes courtesy of the car’s SIRIUS satellite radio. This CUV is about more than looking and sounding good, though. As with all Volvo products, safety comes first, and to that end the company has packed more safety goodies than would seem possible. Tricks like blind-spot warning indicators, a lane minder, adaptive cruise control, a following distance minder and most importantly, City Safety, all combine to keep you safe and sound inside.

So what’s the deal with this City Safety business? Volvo’s mounted a radar display just beneath the rearview mirror on the windshield. At speeds less than 15 mph, the XC60 uses the radar to calculate your proximity to the car in front of you. If you’re trucking along without any intention of stopping, City Safety will sound an alarm and automatically engage the brakes to keep you from ramming whatever is in your cross hairs. If you’re worried the system could stop you from making emergency maneuvers in traffic, don’t be. City Safety defaults to the driver if the accelerator or brake pedal is engaged. Basically, it’s a system designed to keep you from having to spend thousands of dollars in repair and insurance costs.

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