You know a car’s safety is top-notch when it brings out the sense of humor in EuroNCAP people. these are safety-obsessed, very particular guys who test the safety of new models. So when they must be very happy with the 2018 Volvo XC60 to say it is “the best all-round performer of 2017.”

Now that is some praise. The XC90, the big brother to this model, was also awarded with similar words when it was tested in 2015. But what makes it more impressive in the case of the 2018 Volvo XC60 is that it’s considerably smaller than the 90. That car can rely on its size alone to ace many of the crash tests, whereas the 60 needed more clever engineering. The crossover scored an almost-perfect 98 percent in adult occupant protection and performed above the average of this class in child safety and other categories.

Besides good design and engineering, 2018 Volvo XC60 boasts a long list of active and passive safety systems. The main highlights include Steer Assist, which automatically provides steering input in an emergency to help avoid potential collisions. Steer Assist acts alongside Volvo’s City Safety suite of safety aids. It uses radar and a forward-facing camera to detect and identify objects in the path of the car. You also get Oncoming Lane Mitigation, Blind Spot Information, advanced safety equipment from Volvo’s larger 90 series cars, including Pedestrian, Cyclist and Large Animal Detection with fully automatic emergency braking, and Road Edge Detection and Run-off Road Protection.