If you are one of those people who hear the name Volvo and immediately think either “square” or “boring” or both, then you obviously haven’t paid much attention to the brand over the last decade or so, says Damien O’Carroll

You are also probably one of those people who still make Skoda jokes too. And they haven’t been funny for ages. 
Like the Volkswagen-owned Czech brand, Volvo has done much of late to shake off the unflattering image it earned through the ‘70s and ‘80s. It has done it quite simply, too – by making some damn good cars. And the latest Volvo V60 is a particularly good example of that. 

Square is a word that is long gone from the Volvo design vocabulary– in fact about the only place you will find anything vaguely square on the V60 is in the egg-crate grill, punctuated by the traditional Volvo diagonal chrome slash. 

 “Startlingly attractive” is actually a more appropriate term to apply to the V60 T5, especially in our road test car’s bright red. The wagon body – the same length, height width and wheelbase as the S60 sedan – is sexily streamlined, with Volvo’s handsome corporate family face at the front and a rear that is wonderfully reminiscent of the funky little C30 hatch. 

As with the platform, front end and vital dimensions, the interior of the V60 is identical to the S60. As such, that means it is a masterpiece of minimalist automotive design with all the recent Volvo design cues such as the “floating” centre console correct and present. 

With leather upholstery as standard on all models, the interior of the V60 is populated with high quality materials, soft touch points and some superbly classy dash inlays - graphite as standard, charcoal as a no-charge option or a wood trim for $770, although wood seems a slightly discordant concept in such a coolly classy minimalist interior. 

The seats are remarkably comfortable and the whole interior feels like it should be in something far more expensive. But while it looks fantastic, there are a few packaging flaws on the inside - rear leg room is slightly tight and boot space is compromised by the sexy, swooping roofline - but nothing that could ever be considered a deal-breaker.  Under the bonnet the T5 features Volvo’s 2-litre, four-cylinder petrol turbo engine that pushes 177kW and 320Nm through the front wheels. Volvo claims a fairly brisk 0 to 100km/h time of  7.7 seconds for the T5 and from behind the wheel that certainly feels accurate. 

The T5 scampers off the line eagerly and feels pleasantly sharp around town. The nicely-weighted steering is remarkably precise, leading you to think that perhaps the front-wheel drive Volvo may well be the pick of the range through the twisty bits, lacking, as it does, the added weight of its 4WD brethren.  Don’t get too excited though, because it isn’t. 

Despite its low speed promise, the FWD T5 gives in to understeer far too early to be considered dynamically superior to the more expensive 4WD models. Still, the T5 is a remarkably capable and pleasant car on the open road and its ride is truly magnificent, even when pushing on. 

This leads to the interesting idea that perhaps Volvo’s chassis engineers understood what their customers wanted far better than the marketing types who insist that the V60 is sporty. While it is quick and capable enough, the V60 is far more suited to effortlessly swallowing up large distances, providing genuine and impressive comfort that is light years ahead of its FWD rivals, than it is to tackling corners with genuine aggression. 

All up, the V60 never feels anything less than pleasant to drive, whether it be around town or out on the open road, and the comfort with which it does it is simply stunning. 

It has a few minor flaws, but nothing that takes the shine off the overall package. As an alternative to something like a top-end Mondeo, the V60 is compelling proposition. 

Then again, looking in the opposite direction, as an alternative to an entry-level BMW 3 Series, the V60 is equally compelling. Either way, the V60 T5 makes a strong case for itself. 

Specifications:  

Body type  5-door wagon
Drive   Front wheels
Engine type  4-cylinder
Engine capacity 1999 cc
Max power  177kW/5500rpm
Max torque  320Nm/5000rpm
Fuel consumption 8.7 L/100km
C02 emission  205 g/km
0 to 100km/h  7.7 seconds
Front suspension Macpherson strut
Rear suspension Multi link
Roof rack  No
ABS brakes  Yes
Air bags  6
ESP   Yes 
Air conditioning Climate
Lap/diagonal belts 5
Satellite navigation No
Electric seats  Driver’s only
Burglar alarm  Yes 
Panic button  Yes
Boot release  Yes
Cargo cover  Yes
Boot capacity  430 L
Wheel type  17 inch alloy steel
Spare tyre  Full size

Through Life Cost Report

36 months 60,000km
Price    $67,990
WOF   $70
Registration  $1,007
Servicing to 60k $3,031
Total tyre cost  $3,323
Residual   $25,836 
INDICATIVE FINAL FIGURE  $49,586