Volvo likes to play it safe when it comes to car design – and it’s a formula that has paid dividends over the years for the Swedish firm, writes Peter Carroll.

Apart from one uncharacteristically racy phase during the 1960s, when its glamorous P1800 coupe was the vehicle of choice for TV’s The Saint, Volvo has preferred to emphasize more down-to-earth qualities like comfort, space and, of course, safety, when selling its cars.

And the message remains pretty much the same when it comes to its latest vehicle – the XC60.

  See more pics of the stunning XC60 in our gallery below. 

This chunky ‘crossover’ SUV may possess stylish, streamlined looks, plenty of power under its bonnet and a host of luxury features – but its chief strengths are its roomy, family-friendly cabin and its ability to boast that it is the safest car Volvo has ever built.

A claim like this is almost enough to make you want to drive into the nearest tree to put it to the test.

But even if you did, the XC60 would firstly warn you, then partially brake you to lessen the impact – it’s that advanced.

Most of these clever ‘active’ safety features are bundled together in the form of Driver’s Support Pack, for which Volvo charges an additional £1,500.

New features

You get adaptive cruise control, which warns you if you are getting too close to the vehicle in front; a ‘blind spot’ monitor which flashes an amber light when a car is overtaking on either side; and a lane departure warning (which sounds uncannily like an early Depeche Mode record) when the driver changes lanes without indicating.

While these safety features are undeniably impressive, they can be a little intrusive until you get used to them.

When the lights are flashing to your front and side and the lane departure warning starts chiming away it’s a bit like being trapped in an ’80s disco – though you can easily switch these features off.

Otherwise, the XC60 is a well-designed, refined SUV with plenty of room for a family of five and their luggage.

Booster seats

The seats are excellent, as you would expect from a Volvo, and mums and dads will surely appreciate the integrated booster seats which come when the Family Pack is specified.

The test car came with a pricy (£1,000) Dynaudio premium audio which, at 650 watts, was certainly loud enough but too bassy and boomy to sound natural.

Perhaps a better option is the Communications Pack which bundles satellite navigation, keyless entry and bluetooth mobile phone connectivity for £2,000.

Once you have located the Enter button for the sat nav system (it lurks underneath the steering wheel) the sat nav is straight forward to operate.

Performance from the 2.4 litre diesel power plant is more than adequate but don’t expect much more than 30mpg unless you take it steady.Volvo’s bigger XC90 has established a good reputation for this kind of vehicle and the smaller XC60 is a worthy successor, which should hold its value too.

FACT FILE

Model: XC60 D5 SE

Price: From £26,750 (£33,985 as tested)

Engine: 2,400cc, five cylinders, diesel

Power: 205PS

Transmission: Six speed manual, all wheel drive

Performance: 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds

Top speed: 127mph

Economy: 37.7mpg on combined cycle

CO2 emissions: 199g/km

Length: 4,628mm

Weight: 1,869kg

Insurance group: 14

Servicing: 18,000 miles

Warranty: Three years / 60,000 miles