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The details of a newly constructed small-angle X-ray scattering instrument are presented. The geometry of the instrument is highly customizable, enabling it to address vastly different experimental situations from academic research to industrial problems. The high degree of motorization and automation compared to conventional laboratory-scale SAXS instruments facilitates the alignment and daily use. Data reduction routines are incorporated in the instrument control software, yielding fully corrected and calibrated results promptly after the end of measurements. Optimization of the flux versus resolution balance can be done routinely for each measurement task. A wide, continuous range of q = 4πsinθ/λ can be reached, from below 0.02 nm-1 up to 30 nm-1, corresponding to periodic distances of ca 350 nm down to 0.2 nm. A few representative results obtained from samples of different research fields demonstrate the versatility of the instrument. Scattering curves are routinely calibrated into absolute units using a glassy carbon secondary standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]