Volvo V60 review

It would be all too easy to come up with some whimsical, antiques dealer-based introduction to the Volvo V60 estate based loosely around, let’s say, that fella whose name begins with ‘L’ and ends in ‘ovejoy’. But, for starters, that would be an awfully crass way to introduce a car as sharp and shapely as the V60; and it would be wholly out of date for a company that shed its fuddy-duddy, furniture-removal image a long time ago and currently ploughs a style furrow of contemporary chic.

But don’t think that Volvo has discarded the other half of its DNA: safety. This V60 should keep you swaddled securely in a ball of high-tech cotton wool, equipped as it is with many of the bang-up-to-date anti-crash devices that we’ve already seen in the larger V90 estate, as well as the XC60 and XC90 SUVs – cars with which the V60 shares chassis architecture, along with some engines.

So it is pretty and safe. But is it, objectively, the estate of choice? Or should you stick with the usual suspects in the mid-sized premium wagon market, namely the Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate and BMW 3 Series Touring?

Read on to find out. But whichever estate you decide on, don’t forget to check out our New Car Buying site for the very best no-hassle deals around.