Volvo's new XC40 SUV is a little luxury liner

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- Volvo has an all-new entry in the extremely crowded field of crossover sport-utility vehicles.  The automaker calls its 2019 XC40 "a small premium SUV."

Yeah, OK, I'll buy that.  My tester was the XC40 T5 AWD R-Design model, a loaded version with a bottom line of $45,340.

Volvo boasts that its XC40 was the first Volvo to win the coveted European Car of the Year award, and it likewise touts the Compact Modular Architecture of the vehicle.  Catchy name, but for my money, it simply looked a little more sporty and stylish than your typical crossover SUV.

OK, it is pretty small.  If you're transporting six suitcases or all the youth soccer team's equipment, you're going to be challenged.  Frankly, that is not what the XC40 is all about in my view.

For me, it's a top-flight, luxury-laden daily driver for the urban/suburban dweller.  And you get some good pop under the hood.

The tester was equipped with a 2-liter turbo 4 rated at 248 horsepower, and that dusted off pretty much anything that got in my way.  A hard push on the accelerator on freeway on-ramps prompted a satisfying rush, but very little noise made its way into the cockpit.  Nice work there, and I was mystified that other reviewers found the XC40 a bit noisy.

This being a Volvo, high-tech engineering perks are plentiful, especially in the safety department.  In a tight spot, the automaker's "Pilot Assist" system can help the driver with acceleration, steering and braking to avoid a collision.  Full disclosure: I did not put this to the test but was glad to know it was there.

The interior layout is nicely done, and cleanly organized.  Front seat room is good.  Back seat folks might feel cramped.  Interior bonus on my ride: a saucy red interior setting off the vehicle's black exterior paint job.

The swipe touchscreen might take some time to master, but it's easy to read.

For my money, this is a niche vehicle for Volvo and/or luxury lovers who don't need a monster SUV to handle the daily transportation duties ... but a small, stylish number with plenty of perks will work just fine, thank you very much.