EFFORTLESS CHARM

or two, but stands out in its ability to rearrange the contents of the boot with a twitch of the right foot.

The eight-speed’s shortcomings aren’t as obvious in the T8, and that makes it easier to appreciate the rest of the Volvo driving experience. The 235/40 Continental PremiumContact 6 shoes combine well with Volvo’s all-wheel drive system to make the S60 and V60 feel incredibly stable at speed.

If there’s an area where the T8’s high-tech gumbo engine falls short, it’s in its green convictions. We achieved 2.3L/100km with a battery range of 40km (closer to 30-35km in reality).

That’s all fine — impressive even, given how quick it is — but we wish there was a rigid “pure EV” drive mode.

The oddball split in the S60/V60 range is indicative of Volvo’s faith in sales of the sedan, which sadly continues to circle the drain as powerhouses such as the Holden

Commodore and Honda Accord leave the market. It’s not all bad, since the V60 is the better bet.

Apart from the fact few things in this world are cooler than a Volvo wagon, the V60 is more practical than the sedan — capable of being crammed with

529 litres of Abba cassettes or IKEA bedside tables. Fold the rear seats flat, and volume increases to

1441L litres — making the V60 larger in both metrics than the XC60 SUV. And those figures are unchanged for the hybrid T8, despite added mechanicals under the floor.

Still, there’s room for improvement; like the tall transmission tunnel that kills foot room for the fifth passenger, and the messy, un-Volvo-like way the hybrid information is displayed in the 12.3in digital cluster. Headroom is compromised by the gaping panoramic glass roof.

But the Volvo twins remain practical and compelling. Not as engaging as the German establishment, but sharper on