NEW CAR ROAD TEST: VOLVO XC60

Think of Volvo and perhaps you still think of a car maker specialising in spacious estates and solid, safe saloons.

It isn’t true anymore. True, the brand still builds cars of that sort but today the majority of its business is SUVs – cars like this XC60.

Distinctly Scandinavian, this SUV isn’t particularly flashy but delivers an understated, confident demeanour.

All the engines on offer are of a 2.0-litre, four cylinder configuration and come bolted to the same stiff, sophisticated ‘SPA’ chassis that underpins Volvo’s larger XC90 model.

The XC60 range starts with the engine we tried, the one that most buyers will choose, a 190bhp D4 diesel.

A decent 400Nm slug of torque facilitates a 2.4-tonne braked towing capacity that’s un-bettered across the line-up.

And more than adequate performance that sees 62mph reached in 8.4s en route to 127mph.

There’s unruffled poise and exemplary refinement, plus you get supple standards of ride comfort from the multi-link rear suspension, and if you do decide to push on a bit, grip and traction are quite impressive.

The mainstream XC60 lineup sells from around £38,000 in this D4 diesel guise

Running costs sit around 55.4mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 133g/km of CO2.

For many buyers, this XC60 will represent exactly the way a premium mid-sized SUV should look, feel and operate.

And, like its larger XC90 stablemate, it delivers something refreshingly different.