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The 2009 Audi Q5 is one of the newest entries in the premium compact SUV class.

The premium compact SUV class blends luxury and utility in a tidy package. Some entries, like Acura's turbocharged RDX, shoot for a sporty take on luxury, while others, like Land Rover's LR2, blend luxury with rugged, off-road flair. Regardless, all seat five passengers, have available AWD, feature posh, high-quality wood and leather-trimmed interiors, and offer loads of convenience and technology features.

The Players

Making up this class are the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Infiniti EX, Land Rover LR2 , and Volvo XC60.  X3 was the first entrant in this class in 2004. The all-wheel-drive X3 slots below BMW's larger, costlier X5 SUV, but it has virtually the same passenger space and more cargo volume. X3 3.0si has a 260-horsepower 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine and a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode.

RDX, Acura's second SUV, entered the marketplace for the 2007 model year. The all-wheel-drive premium compact SUV is 4 inches shorter in wheelbase and 10 inches shorter overall than Acura's seven-passenger premium midsize SUV, MDX. Its only engine is a 240-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder linked to a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Two new premium compacts entered the segment last year: The Infiniti EX35 and Land Rover LR2. EX, which drops the 35 suffix for 2009, blends FX styling with G performance, and shares platform and powertrain with Infiniti's premium midsize sedan. The rear- or all-wheel-drive EX is powered by a 297-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and 5-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. LR2 has standard all-wheel drive without a low-range gear for off-roading and teams a 230-horsepower 3.2-liter 6-cylinder engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

This segment may be small in numbers now, but it’s poised to explode during the next few years. New-for-2009 premium compact SUVs include Audi’s Q5 and Volvo’s XC60. Audi’s first compact SUV comes standard with all-wheel drive and a 270-horsepower 3.2-liter V6 engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Volvo’s all-wheel-drive XC60 shares its basic design with the S80 sedan and Land Rover's LR2. It gets power from a turbocharged 281-horsepower 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine.

Technological Showcases

While this class may be small in players, it's large on luxury and technological features.

Infiniti used its EX to showcase several new safety systems. EX features Infiniti's Around View Monitoring System, which uses four cameras to show the driver the entire circumference of the exterior on the navigation screen. All the angles can be viewed separately on the navigation screen or together as one cohesive image of the whole vehicle. If the driver gets too close to a stationary object in any direction, a warning is sounded.

Another new feature is the next generation of Infiniti's Lane Departure Warning system. Lane Departure Prevention gauges where the vehicle is in relationship to the road's markings. If the vehicle senses it's going out of those lines at speeds above 45 miles per hour, a warning signal is sounded and the stability control system is activated to bring it back to the correct side of the line.

Similarly, XC60’s City Safety accident-avoidance feature automatically activates the brakes at low speeds to avoid an imminent rear-end collision.

X3 is equipped with BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system that lacks low-range gearing. It does, however, feature hill-descent control. When engaged by the driver, it controls the vehicle's speed by automatically braking each wheel individually as needed. This makes for a smoother, more controlled descent.

Also offering off-road assistance is LR2's Terrain Response system, which uses a console switch to alter suspension and powertrain calibrations to suit a variety of on- and off-road conditions.

On the Horizon

So far, premium compact SUVs have been met with critical success.  In fact, demand for compact crossovers has become so strong that just about every premium brand is rushing into the segment. During the next two years, this class will grow considerably to include competition from Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz--to name just two luxury brands readying class competitors.

Cadillac is redesigning its SRX to fit into the premium compact class for 2010. It should debut later this year and features styling suggestive of a Saturn Vue-Chevrolet Equinox combination with distinct Cadillac cues.

Mercedes-Benz recently debuted a premium compact SUV for model-year 2010. GLK has square-cut lines and a boxy frame much like its big brother, the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.