| First Drive | Verona, Italy | Volvo V60 T3 SE |

Form follows function in Volvo's new V60, with form evidently the primary function.

In the Metal

Volvo has come over all stylish recently, with the S60 and this new V60 underlining that. The Swedish firm claims its V60 is coupé-like, but, as every other manufacturer is claiming the same, it means nothing. What is important is that Volvo isn't calling the V60 an estate. Apparently it's a Sports Wagon, in the vein of cars like the Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon or Peugeot 407 SW. So this is a Volvo that you can't get a washing machine - or in fact much of anything else -in the back of.

The interior is lovely though, with simple Swedish design and ease of use mixing in a well-built package. The rear seats fold in a useful 40/20/40 fashion, while the passenger seat back flips forwards for longer loads. But otherwise the V60 is more about how it looks than how it operates.

What you get for your Money

You're paying for a smart looking Sports Wagon that's comfortable and decently specified. The trade off of the small boot is a decently-sized rear passenger compartment, with leg- and headroom better than in most rivals. There's City Safety as standard too, a system that can prevent low speed impacts - up to 18mph - by slowing the car automatically.

Spend some time on the options list and you can fit a massive array of safety kit to it, though some might prefer to live without the blinking lights and audible bongs that accompany the lane departure and blind spot systems. It's safe enough in standard guise, while regular equipment like alloy wheels, climate control, electric windows and cruise control are included across the entire range.

Driving it

Although it's compromised as an estate, Volvo promises the V60 will drive with dynamism new to the brand. First impressions suggest that's simply not the case, as it drives exactly like the S60 that beat it to the showrooms. Any of its premium German rivals is a more entertaining drive, too. Like the S60 the V60 is better at comfort than sharp, pulse-raising driver interaction. That's even despite the fact that UK cars will only be offered with a more dynamic chassis setting.

The suspension is nicely supple though, isolating nasty surfaces making for a smooth ride. However, the steering is lifeless, with strange weighting, while the manual gearshift isn't the last word in accuracy. Forget incisive cornering then, as the Volvo V60 is better at comfortable cruising. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Diesels will make up over 85 percent of sales. The 2.0-litre D3 turbodiesel with 161bhp and 295lb.ft of torque has more than enough urge to haul the V60 along with ease. It'll reach 62mph in 9.4 seconds, max out at 136mph and return around 50mpg. It's largely mute too, with the characteristic five-cylinder Volvo rumble only really apparent if you rev it hard. Not that you'll need to. Add hushed wind and road noise and the V60 is a nice place to eat up big miles in.

Worth Noting

Volvo isn't kidding when it says you shouldn't consider the V60 to be an estate. The boot with the seats in place offers just 430 litres of capacity. To put that into perspective that's 50 litres less than a Skoda Fabia Estate has, and some 203 litres less than the Superb Estate. A Ford Mondeo hatchback betters the V60 too, while even BMW's 3 Series Touring can muster 30 litres more capacity than the Volvo with its seats up. Finally, the V60's V50 relative is only 13 litres less capacious.

Summary

With the S60 already filling the form brief we'll admit to being disappointed that the Volvo V60 isn't a bit more about function. It's undoubtedly a good looking car, but premium rivals are better to drive, while many mainstream competitors eclipse it for usefulness. Given Volvo's excellent history of capacious, practical estate cars we're not sure why the V60 so determinedly takes another path.