Advanced safety technology in airbags, stability assist systems, seatbelts, seats, steering columns, and body architecture is in nearly everything these days.

Take the relatively mainstream Honda Civic. It has stability assist, dual-stage multi-threshold front airbags, front side curtain airbags and ABS.

With all of this in a car that costs about $20,000, automobile safety is not exclusive to any particular segment or make anymore, which begs the question: In this sea of safety innovation, how does Volvo, an icon of automotive safety, set itself apart?

After a string of “pinched behind” cars like the S60 and C30 (not to mention the luscious 2011 S60), it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Volvo’s answer is design, particularly with the curvy new XC60. This is a far cry from the boxy Volvo 240 that still comes to many minds when people think of Volvo; those days are long gone.

A twisting band of red light glows almost romantically when you open the rear hatch – something that has come to be a Volvo design signature. Pronounced shoulder lines begin horizontally on top of the headlights and gradually transition to near vertical at the belt line. The bronze paint on our test car made the XC60 eye-catching.

 Interior design is attractive, too. There is a floating wood dash with exposed grain – a simple, rustic Scandinavian approach. Run your fingers across the surface and your fingernails catch the grain, very different than the wood dashes in most cars.

The seats, another typical Volvo virtue, are extremely comfortable, supportive and among the best in the business. Our only interior gripe was being forced to get past the navigation screen’s welcome screen by pressing a button on a remote control instead of simply pressing a button on the dash. The navigation system itself was less than intuitive and not as simple to use as those in many other cars.

While design is clearly a differentiator, safety is of course not dismissed, particularly with a crash avoidance system Volvo calls City Safety. Standard on every XC60, the system stops the car automatically at speeds up to 19 mph if the driver has the right foot off the brake pedal and when a laser positioned below the inside rear-view mirror senses an object in front of the car. When it kicks in, the brakes are applied, the car stops for a second and a half, and then the car rolls forward – by which time the driver has hopefully been jolted awake.

Because it’s a Volvo, the XC60 of course has a gamut of standard safety features: ABS, traction control, side airbags and roll-over protection. Safety options include blind spot detection, adaptive cruise control, collision warning, a lane departure warning and integrated child booster seats.

Dynamically, the XC60’s ride is solid, luxurious and, honestly, predictable because it is based on the familiar S80 and XC70 platform. XC60 is not a sports car nor is it an ultra-luxurious isolation tomb. While never punishing, rough roads do make themselves heard through the body structure, but the manner in which XC60 goes down the road is generally pleasant and unobtrusive.

There are three XC60 models available: 3.2, T6 AWD and T6 R-Design model. The 3.2 model has a 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder 24-valve engine with 235 horsepower. T6 models have a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder 24-valve turbo engine with an intercooler and 281 horsepower. A six-speed transmission is standard. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is optional. According to Volvo, the XC60 3.2 scoots from 0 to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds, and the T6 does it in 7.1.

Fuel economy for XC60 3.2 is 18/27 for the front-wheel drive model and 16/22 for the AWD model. Figures for the AWD XC60 T6 are slightly less, 16/21 city/highway. To compare, the Infiniti EX35 gets 16/23; the Acura RDX gets 17/22 for the AWD model and 19/24 for the front-wheel drive model; and the BMW X3 gets 17/24.

While its owners may subscribe to Mother Earth News, the XC60 doesn’t scream green. There is no hybrid, no green diesel, no electric or hydrogen. There is, however, a five-cylinder, turbocharged diesel-powered XC60 available in Europe, the top model being the D5 AWD. It gets an impressive combined mileage estimate of 42.8 mpg. Once again, we find ourselves wondering why Europe gets all the cool cars.

Even without a diesel available in the U.S., the XC60 a fresh spin on what millions of Americans chose as their preferred family mobile just a few years ago – truck-based SUVs. The move away from these heavy trucks and towards smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles like XC60 is a good step in the right green direction. With design and proven safety reputation in its corner, the XC60 is an attractive four-door vehicle with SUV-like storage space and does a fine job of using design – and of course safety – to stand apart from the crowd.