Volvo S60 T5 R-Design: Keeping the boot in

Once a badge of outright fiery performance pedigree – Volvo in this instance reserves the T5 designation to signal a slow burner.

Base price: $82,900
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, 192kW/400Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 7.3L/100km, CO2 168g/km.
Vital statistics: 4761mm long, 2040mm wide, 1431mm high, 2872mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 390 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Lots of tech, smart look, smooth engine.
We don't like: Small boot, not like the old-school T5.

 HERE you go, another car that sets up a ding-dong battle between heart and mind.

Why should be obvious to see. The market has put the absolute boot into sedans. If there’s any commonality to the avalanche of marketing data every brand accrues, it’s the overwhelming evidence that no kind of passenger vehicle can succeed unless it has a semblance of something plainly absent from today’s tester. Let’s call it the crossover gene. 

So, with that in mind, the S60 should be basically invisible, because nobody’s supposed to be interested.

And, yet, on the day I used it as a retreat from the cold when, having decided not to race in a car club event at my local track, I volunteered for gate duty undertaking Covid compliance checks on the final day these were relevant under what transpired to be the first round of Level Two, I met a lot of ‘nobodies’. 

Who were all genuinely interested. Maybe not to the point of wanting to buy in, but certainly keen to sit in it, look at the powertrain and run up questions about what the car was about. 

The one thing it particularly did, too, was draw out owners of older Volvos. Even though this brand isn’t a huge performer in respect to NZ-new registrations, the Swedish enclave is surprisingly healthy, thanks to used imports. The guys I met seemed to be running ex-Singapore cars. Mainly a few V90s sitting up in the spectator area and the service park but also a 1980s’ S80 T5 R from the 1990s that was proudly reprising the famous international touring car racing works effort. 

The S60 here gave the old-school supporters a fair bit to think about. Volvo has changed hugely in the past few years, but rest assured in ownership with China’s Geely and despite production now expanding from Scandinavia to the United States and China, it’s still emphatically Swedish in spirit.

That exemplifies in how this car delivers in its styling, comfort, equipment level and under the bonnet. And with the badges?

Well, today’s T5 is no longer a five-cylinder, but a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol, and the T8 format this level of sedan and wagon can also equip with is also well off the traditional numerical mark, as it now represents the presence of a "twin engine" powertrain that combines another version of the 2.0-litre, but this time with a supercharger working with the turbo and backing from an electric motor.

The latter format delivers something quite remarkable - a PHEV system that is emphatically performance-minded yet can also be driven in quite frugal manner – and I’d readily admit that transferring to the S60 T5 after a week with a V60 T8 demanded attuning, quite literally, to a different, less frantic pace. 

At same token, of course, it’s only fair to acknowledge that the transition also took me into lower pricing altitude, exaggerated all the more through the V60 having come with enough options to almost double the $20,000 difference that divides the models in their purely factory formats.

Could you tell? Well, yes, in respect to their fitouts, the V60 clearly had more finery to justify its higher placement in the prestige zone. At same token, though, the S60 hardly felt like it was trading at pauper pack level. 

Volvo interiors these days are exemplars of modern Scandinavian design and, beyond that, this is a brand that accepts it has to provision fulsomely if it has a chance of being thought of as a true rival to other like-sized and powered Euros.

While sedans are falling out of favour, the competition is still pretty hot. The rivals for this models conceivably included all the stars; the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class, Jaguar XE and Alfa Romeo Giulia. None can be taken lightly.

The S60 pitches in with appealingly modern styling, a cabin fitout and comfort features that will be familiar in this sector, delivers well in cabin size and then throws in the additional possible allure of being all-wheel-drive, when most others are not.

While it is not an outright performance model, the engine also achieves an optimisation tweak from Polestar, which though now primarily involved in making electric cars still lends a hand to its original task of tweaking the fossil-fuelled engines to deliver a touch more pep.

That’s how is translates here. The S60 is not emphatic in expressing sporting intent, but the engine has more than sufficient power for most circumstances and, certainly, it has no issue with reaching, holding and exceeding our legal limit. The eight-speed gearbox works well with it to produce a rounded, pleasing performance envelope. It lacks the impressive oomph that the PHEV so effortlessly implements yet there’s enough of a torque swell, from quite low revs, to make it feel ‘larger’ than it really is.

That’s definitely a good thing. The S60 is in its fourth generation and each seems larger than the last; this time there’s a 100mm increase in length, mostly to improve rear seat leg room, which has previously been so tight as to be criticised.

That possibly won’t now happen, though perhaps as the dimensional increase doesn’t influence boot space, some might question what’s going on there. It’s a 392 litre cavity – long and wide but shallow in shape – and even though it has a 60/40 split folding seat, the amount of luggage room will be questioned. Volvo will, of course, say the answer is the V60.

If styling sense, too, the wagon has an edge though that’s not to say the chiselled, sculpted styling doesn’t look any less good on a sedan. Those abbreviated overhangs, the squared and hunkered stance and the detailing of those Thor’s hammer DRLs bisecting the headlamps. Everything about this car expresses that this is a maker in a confident frame of mind.

Volvo interior design is all heading to a commonality, so no surprise to see the S60 achieve the feature interior element of a big, upright 'Sensus' touchscreen in the middle that remains a model of clarity and simple menu layouts. Worried about fingermarks? Well, yes, it does suffer them – so Volvo includes a cloth cleaner for that. As you would expect, the R-Design seats are sumptuously comfortable.

The engine start and stop function might have newbies guessing, as this is by a rotating knob near the electronic park brake button. It requires a 45-degree turn clockwise, then release. Different? Sure, but it’s easy to locate and use.

All in all it imparts as being very executive in its ambience, and aside from the plastics being perhaps not quite up to German premium standard, there’s very little to quibble about.

The specification delivers four-zone climate air, full LED lighting with cornering lamps, powered and heated front seats and connectivity for both types of smartphone, though the USB ports are a little awkwardly placed. Also, there’s a three-pin (220V) outlet located in the rear of the centre console for recharging devices that don't have a USB lead. 

And no-one could claim Volvo is neglectful in respect to the well-being of its customers. The safety provisions are so impressive. City Safe’s recognition smarts keep improving and it also initiates autobraking if a head-on collision seems imminent. Adaptive cruise and lane keeping, a 360-degree camera, self-parking and extremely well-sorted traffic sign recognition. A little pop-up graphic in the speedo advises when the car is approaching a speed camera.

The S60 runs adaptive damping with three drive modes and also has decent 245/40R19 PremiumContact rubber, the chassis is quite well-sorted and likewise the all-wheel-drive. Yet as impressive as it is for its grip and flowing mannerisms, it stops short of delivering a fully engaging feel; there’s nothing here that suggests it’s going to deal to the top Germans. A lot of this is to do with the steering. The rack is accurate and nicely weighted, but devoid of feel.

Still, even if truly keen drivers won’t be captured, it feels pleasingly planted and secure and while the ride quality is firm, it soaks up surface imperfections well. So, while imagining it to be a modern equivalent of those classic 850 T5 BTCC racers is asking too much, it’s quietly quick when you need it to be. Plus, it’s also decently thrifty, too. At a steady 100kmh the engine is only revving at around 1600rpm; holding it there and running in Eco mode allows easy access to sub 10 L/100km outcomes.

So, yeah, there are pluses and minuses, pretty much in even quantity, really. Not that this really matter, because what the S60 really requires if it is to achieve volume is something that doesn’t appear likely to occur any time soon. A change to consumer tastes. If we go back to sedans, then obviously it has a chance. But, frankly, it’d have to do more to convince me.

Even so, step back and view it through a broader spectrum and there’s every reason to be impressed, if not about the car specifically then at least in respect to what it represents as a brand effort. 

Volvo’s really a make on the move, now. Annual output has doubled in less than a decade to stand at 700,000 units – a count the likes of Jaguar can only dream of achieving –and the entire model range is delivering all-new designs, architectures and technology. It's standing tall and that’s even before we’ve been given a chance to look at its opus, the Polestar electric cars.

Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar: Going for gold

This cleverest version of this Swedish make’s compact sports utility offers a new definition of click bait.

images: colin smith

Base price:  $129,900
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC turbocharged and supercharged petrol engine with plug-in hybrid electric drive. 246kW/6000rpm, 430Nm/2200-5400rpm (Combined 311kW/670Nm). All-wheel drive. 2.2L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4688mm, height 1658mm, width 1902mm, wheelbase 2865mm. Luggage 468 litres. Wheels: 21-inch alloys with 255/40 R21 Pirelli P-Zero tyres.
We Like: Versatile five-seat SUV design and stylish proportions, excellent seating comfort and visibility, wide-ranging capability from low consumption efficiency to high performance SUV.
We don’t like: Those bright gold seat belts.

IN an era where you occasionally lift the bonnet to check washer fluid levels or perhaps take a quick glance at the dip stick, this Volvo presents a chance for a little more hands-on interaction than usual.

A key part of the performance content for the top-of-the-range XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered is an Ohlins adjustable suspension featuring competition car-style Dual Flow Valve Technology.

If you want a take a couple of minutes beneath the bonnet – and a little more challengingly under the rear wheel arches – you can dial the suspension damping of your choice into this rapid SUV.

 After a couple of days of driving in the firmly damped XC60 flagship I dived into this click-and-count procedure. As long as you have an understanding of clockwise and counter-clockwise - and can count to 22 - you are in the adjustment business. 

It was evident the test car had been adjusted towards the stiffer range of settings and to experience contrast I opted for Volvo’s recommended Comfort setting (15 of the 22 available clicks). 

It took much of the harsher response out of the city driving and lumpy surfaces but the XC60 remained securely planted on the highway with a wide tyre and track stance to accompany taut chassis control.

If I drove the XC60 long term I’d probably remain at or near that recommended Comfort setting. A quick run up the Coromandel or some favourite Waikato back roads might call for a few more clicks toward the firmer performance settings.

This is the second of Volvo’s top-end ‘Twin Engine’ T8 AWD models I’ve sampled recently. The powertrain combines 2.0-litre petrol power boosted by both a supercharger and turbocharger along with plug-in hybrid electric drive. It’s the rear electric motor that provides All Wheel Drive.

Along with the Ohlins suspension and a front strut tower reinforcement bar the Polestar Engineered content also includes high performance Akebono braking hardware and forged 21-inch Y-spoke alloy wheels with grippy 255/40 R21 Pirelli P-Zero tyres. 

Visual cues include flared wheel arches to house the big Pirellis with a gloss black grille and roof rails and subtle Polestar exterior badging. Inside less than subtle gold seat belts communicate the Polestar status. 

In total the powertrain delivers 311kW and 670Nm of torque. There is a surge of acceleration when prompted (with 0-100kmh in a claimed 5.2 seconds) but the prime attribute is the immediate and smooth torque delivery and low-effort overtaking response as turbo urge and electric torque combine with the close ratios of the eight-speed Geartronic transmission.

Plug-in hybrid status also allows for short zero-emission journeys using the power stored in an 11.6kWh lithium-ion battery housed in the centre tunnel. It’s an easy overnight charge from a domestic power supply and the best estimated range I saw with a fully charged battery was 35km.

The plug-in XC60 is heavier, slightly less aerodynamic and rolls on wider tyres than the V60 T8 AWD I had driven earlier and which had signalled a 40km EV range. Volvo claim a combined cycle consumption figure of 2.2L/100km which is achievable on short city runs with a high proportion of EV driving.  With some highway running I averaged 6.5L/100km. 

The new V60 and XC 60 cars are very similar in stylish cabin design and simple operation including the dash layout, Head-Up Display and portrait format Sensus 9.0-inch touchscreen.

The taller configuration of the XC60 partially overcomes one issue that compromises the V60 - the rear passengers sit a little more upright in the SUV and the centre tunnel isn’t as raised and that makes the fifth passenger position a more viable place.

Specification highlights include a premium Bowers and Wilkins audio system, powerful LED headlights with adaptive high beam control and a sports cabin theme with charcoal roof liner and contoured sports seats. 

The supportive seat design and comfortable driving position allow the benefit of SUV raised sight lines but the XC60 retains a sense of sitting in the cabin rather than seated up particularly high. The front seats are power adjustable and heated, there’s a powered tailgate and a panorama sunroof is standard for the Polestar Engineered version.

The test vehicle was in standard specification without optional equipment and priced up at $129,900. Luxury-performance rivals include the Audi SQ5 and this swift Swede also finds an interesting position between rival plug-in and performance SUV models.

Where customers are left to choose between the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e plug-in and Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 performance models – or similarly the BMW X3 xDrive30e or X3 M40i – the XC60 in Polestar Engineered guise delivers both efficiency and performance skills set in a single vehicle.

Volvo V60 T8 Polestar: Plug-in plays well

A second look at this sweet-looking Swedish sports wagon cements our sentiment.

Price:  $114,900 ($121,400 as tested).
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC turbocharged and supercharged petrol engine with plug-in hybrid electric drive. 246kW/6000rpm, 430Nm/2200-5400rpm (Combined 311kW/670Nm). All-wheel drive. 2.0L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4761mm, height 1432mm, width 1850mm, wheelbase 2872mm. Luggage 390 litres. Wheels: 19-inch alloys with 235/40 R19 Continental Premium Contact6 tyres.
We like: Comfort, styling, innovative drivetrain engineering.
We don’t like: Fidgety suspension tune, type one recharging (and short household wall-plug cable).

WHEN it comes to citing a top-level European brand with leadership in drivetrain achievement, it’s all too easy to propose one of the usual German suspects.

After all, Audi, BMW and Mercedes do tend to make so MUCH noise about every new thing they bring to the market, right?

On the evidence presented by todays test car, really it’s the quiet Swede, Volvo, that deserves the spotlight. Definitely so on strength of the mechanical package delivered with the new flagship edition of its V60 mid-sized station wagon.

Turbocharged, supercharged, petrol, electric and a blend of both, driving through two wheels or four: That’s a heck of a drivetrain, right? 

Almost every part of that recipe is special and rare to find elsewhere in motoring, even the elements that – to Volvo at least – are a bit old hat, now.

Actually, to be fair, the Swedes are the third marque I can name that has sought to combine the choice of forced induction between two philosophically opposed setups – turbocharging, to achieve a revvier, higher-strung sort of boost (thanks to exhaust gases), and supercharging, to deliver a gruntier and lower-end power enhancement (courtesy of crankshaft inertia). 

As far as I can tell, the combo achieved its first successful cameo with Lancia's Delta S4 Group B rally car in the mid-1980s, which trickled down into a roadgoing version, and more latterly came in a Volkswagen Polo that sold briefly here.

Even so, it’s fair to suggest Volvo has gone further with it. The result of Chinese owner Geely’s $300 million investment in the Skovde engine plant has resulted in a particularly intense involvement that achieves with the test car’s 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder T6 engine standing out as a bright spot of innovation. 

The initial outcome from combining turbocharging and supercharging was to tick a best of both possible worlds – great zonk and also commendable economy (and claim of a first in its class to deliver more than one kiloWatt per gram of CO2 emissions). That box was first ticked a couple of years ago. Now the powertrain is up to its next level, with the supplementary positive of an electric backup.

How it all enacts in daily operation is intriguing. For one, there’s such a broad and muscular spread of power; the engine when acting in isolation, which is mainly when the performance-first Polestar drive mode is enacted, creates discernible low-end supercharger grunt that starts to plateau around the 3000 rpm mark - right around where the turbo kicks in.

You’d easily be fooled into imagining there’s a much larger powerplant lurking under the bonnet. Depending on your enthusiasm with the go pedal, you might twig to brief moments of almost imperceptible interruption between one ‘spinner’ handing over to the other, yet overall it demonstrates that there is a way for these enhancers to peacefully co-exist.

And that’s only half – or, if you have a heavy right foot – two-thirds of the story here, because on top of this is the electric ingredient whose inclusion identifies externally with a new title - T8 'Twin Engine' - another 'fuel filler flap' on its front wing, for the Type 1 charging port, internally with some hybrid-related displays and on the road with … well, everything from silence to surge, depending on how it happens to be interacting.

Ostensibly, in its Green mode – enabled most effectively by switching a selector to Eco - the 10.4kWh battery pack that feeds the electric motor (that drives the rear wheels) will allow you to achieve up to 49km on electric power alone, which should make it ideal for commuters who can charge it both at home and the office, day in, day out.

Or is it better to save that extra inertia for Polestar? Hmm. With both forms of propulsion pushing forward together, it’s a serious mover. Zero to 100kmh crops up in under five seconds – pretty scintillating when bearing in mind this car weighs in at a fraction under two tonnes – and as all grunt transfers as grip thanks to the traction-maximising effort of its four-wheel-drive (resulting from the electric motor being mounted to the rear axle), there’s real push-back surge.

All that’s missing from this almost-V8 oomph is an almost-V8 soundtrack, though the noise as it goes about its business is intriguing in its own right; a blend of four-cylinder engine grumble overlaid with a whine of supercharger and electric motor noise.

There’s no assurance of an absolutely free lunch here. As with anything that uses batteries, the harder the power hit, the faster the depletion rate. Just a few energetic starts and foot-down accelerations when moving will slash the EV range significantly.

And while the battery is never as wholly exhausted as the indicator shows – which reveals in it always having enough to enable silent movement from starting off – it’s a balancing act if you want to use it to scurry around without using any petrol at all for a reasonable distance. 

Yet it’s not that much of a challenge. I got used to seeing just 3.5 litres/100km on a daily mixed condition and speed test run; I wasn’t thrashing, but neither was a tender-footing. Get in the habit of plugging it in whenever there’s a chance and you’ll always have some zap to help the petrol-fed zip.

Beyond the powertrain, you’re into more regular Volvo territory, which means a very nice cabin presentation, some of the best front seats in the business and a decent specification to warrant its premium market placement, including the nine-inch Sensus touchscreen satnav, the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a powered tailgate, rear parking sensors, two-zone climate control, cruise control with a speed limiter and more. 

High-end station wagons are relatively rare nowadays, not least in a property sporty format, and anyone who has become utterly convinced by car-like SUVs will complain, first, about how low this car is to get into and, second, about how firm-riding it is.

Both are factors you just to need accept as part of the overall theme. It’s true, nonetheless, that R-Design Volvos are quite crunchy in their firmer-than-standard suspension tune and as gorgeous as the big wheels with low profile tyres look, they’re also going to unavoidable transmit a bit of road patter through on scarred surfaces. 

To be fair, though, we need to accept that our road surfaces are pretty poor and that suspension engineers who tune the car for far more important markets do so in knowledge that those places have smooth tarmac surfaces.

Even so, the damping control was pretty good, keeping vertical movements of the body to a minimum, and it across as pretty well-sorted in the cornering department, with clean steering, lots of grip and minimal body lean to work around. If it is not as thrilling to drive fast as the obvious German equivalents, neither is it too far from being a threat to them. 

The T8 update demanded adoption of brake-by-wire; meaning the brake pedal sends a signal to a computer and the computer translates that into braking power. We’ve been down that road before with varying degrees of success. Some other systems that rip out the vacuum booster and replacing it with an electrically powered hydraulic pump can be quite grabby. 

However, in general use, the Volvo’s stoppers meet the aim of providing a linear feedback a smooth transition between regenerative and non-regenerative braking. And there’s certainly plenty of stopping power. 

The T8 drivetrain also affords in a taller and robust-looking XC setting and I imagine that’ll be the one more buyers gravitate to, simply because SUVs are just more in vogue. In a way, that might enhance the V60’s standing with those who still prefer orthodox wagons; in adding a degree of ‘rarity’ value for a car whose general styling and R-Design furnishings lend wonderful kerbside presence.

Bunging an EV drivetrain and battery into an orthodox design always demands some give and take; by shaping this into a T-design is clever as the main part spans under the back seat, with the vertical running forward into what would be a driveshaft tunnel if it had an orthodox all-wheel-drive. That provision ensures the boot space remains decent. However, it also effectively makes this a four-seater, as the central tunnel is quite and wide and high.

There are a couple more quirks beyond that. Engaging Reverse after being in Drive demands a double-tap movement else it’ll revert to neutral, which a bit odd. Also, the recharging cable for plugging into home supply is very short, there’s no logical place in the boot designed to stow it (and, if there is a bag, it had been ‘repuposed’ before the car arrived) and also replenishment by this method is so achingly slow off a three-pin plug you really need to upgrade to a proper home charger or roam around to find a local utility. In that respect, head down to your local mall. A lot of free-use public EV setups are still configured for Type 1 plugs and they’re generally located in shopping centres. But how long will that remain the case? Having this plug type seems a step behind where most other brands are going and it’s in fact interesting to see that, in some other markets, the car appears to come with a Type 2 set-up.

Beyond that, though, it does seem a pretty strong all-rounder; a car that blends the sporty side of its nature very nicely with its practical facets with the potential of super-low running costs, if you’re sensible in how and when hybrid drivetrain is engaged. If you leave it in hybrid mode then it really is quite brilliant in how it apportions the best elements of the petrol power and the electric motor. The world’s hybrid king, Toyota, could learn from this car.

A car that has come about purely as result of Volvo determining to distance itself from diesel deserves recognition from eco-conscious buyers who might have already been attracted by the Swedish manufacturer’s reputation for being a frontrunner in safety and solid design. Knowing that there’s nothing else quite like it in the market must also stand as an interest point.

Volvo V60 T8 Polestar: Swedish science fare

A performance-tuned plug-in hybrid station wagon? That’s something new to think about.

Price:  $114,900 ($121,400 as tested).
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC turbocharged and supercharged petrol engine with plug-in hybrid electric drive. 246kW/6000rpm, 430Nm/2200-5400rpm (Combined 311kW/670Nm). All-wheel drive. 2.0L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4761mm, height 1432mm, width 1850mm, wheelbase 2872mm. Luggage 390 litres. Wheels: 19-inch alloys with 235/40 R19 Continental Premium Contact6 tyres.
We like: Handsome sportwagon styling, seating comfort, interior finish quality and effortless high torque performance.
We don’t like: High-rise central tunnel makes five passengers marginal.

NOT many years ago Volvo served the luxury market with a typical mix of sedans and estates.

Today the brand is another case study of how far the market has shifted toward SUVs with just a single four-door in its 2020 New Zealand line-up and the new V60 filling the wagon role while XC models represent the volume of its business.

For drivers who prefer the sportwagon configuration over something riding higher, the V60 offers space and a thought-provoking blend of attributes and technologies. 

The V60 flagship pairs the stylish R Design equipment package with the T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain - a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-litre engine boosted by electric drive and with the rear electric motor also being the enabler for all-wheel-drive. 

The dual-boosted four-cylinder petrol engine develops 246kW at 6000rpm along with 430Nm of torque from 2200-5400. The electric motor contributes 65kW and most importantly 240Nm of torque. 

It’s an impressive combo of efficient sophistication and genuine performance with combined output totals of 311kW and up to 670Nm of torque. 

In Polestar drive mode the V60 T8 can sprint from 0-100kmh in 4.5 seconds and electric torque fills any gaps or pauses in the torque delivery from the relatively small combustion engine. A braked towing capacity of 2000kg adds a little more versatility to the wagon theme.

Claimed average consumption is 2.0L/100km but like all plug-ins that figure varies significantly based on the driving environment. 

The best indicated range I saw when driving away with a fully charged battery was 40km. That’s enough for short city commutes and errands to be completed with zero - or close-to-zero - consumption and emissions.

The road test reality for a 122km run over a mix of open road and city driving was a 4.8L/100km consumption average. On a longer highway run the consumption is likely to settle in the high-5s or low-6s – still an appealing level of efficiency for a 4.8-metre long family-size estate with some serious performance potential. 

The lithium-ion battery is rated at 11.6kWh capacity – slightly smaller than a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV for example. Charging from a domestic supply will take about four hours at 10amp charge rate. 

Using a Type-1 plug in the New Zealand market seems something of an anomaly in an industry that is heading towards Type-2 fast charge capability. But the reality for plug-in vehicles is they will be most commonly charged overnight from a domestic supply.

The V60 T8 can be driven in Pure (electric), Hybrid, All-Wheel-Drive and Polestar modes. Additional energy recuperation can be prompted by nudging the gearshift lever back into Brake mode. The steering wheel paddles still shift the eight-speed Geartronic automatic transmission rather than adjust the level of energy recuperation.

A highlight of the T8 driving experience is the way the comfortable sportwagon slips effortlessly along in bumper-to-bumper traffic queues on electric drive avoiding the hesitations of awkward stop-start systems. But can then be prompted to deliver serious acceleration in Polestar mode.

The new generation V60 is a medium-large format wagon and continues where Volvo has excelled in the past. There is family-size load space and convenient accessibility via the powered tailgate and it’s sensibly kitted out with the load securing and separation nets.

But the reality of the rear seat layout with a high-rise centre tunnel - for the battery storage – falls somewhere between marginal five-seat accommodation and very comfortable four-seat capability with generous rear headroom and supportive seat shape.

The V60 T8 AWD R Design is priced from $114,900. Options on the test car included panorama sunroof, window tints and Bower and Wilkins premium sound system – grouped as a Premium Pack – to bump the price-tag to $121,400.

Specific highlights of the R Design equipment level include charcoal leather with mesh textile inserts and contrast stitching and R Design detailing of the steering wheel, pedals, shift knob and tread plates with a charcoal headlining.

The exterior carries R Design badging along with gloss black treatment for the roof rails, mirrors and grille while diamond-cut 19-inch alloy wheels are generously shod with 235/40 R19 Continental PremiumContact6 radials.

The 4-C Dynamic Chassis active damping allows plenty of adjustment of the body control and ride comfort characteristics to progress between luxury and firm sportwagon settings.

Also standard is a head-up display, excellent 360-degree camera, Park Assist, four-zone air conditioning and heated front seats. All of the infotainment, satellite navigation and heating/ventilation functions are controlled from the 9.0-inch portrait format Sensus touchscreen.

The V60 R Design showcases Volvo attributes of an uncluttered control layout and clear displays with an emphasis on quality surfaces including mesh metallic décor. 

There is excellent visibility past the cleverly shaped A-pillars and Volvo seat design continues to provide a lesson in both welcoming comfort and firm long-distance support with full power adjustment including four-way lumbar and cushion length adjusters. 

Part of the challenge is for luxury brands is to differentiate themselves and offer an identifiably unique experience.

Modern plug-in hybrid performance and effortless refinement sits very neatly with handsome Volvo wagon design and traditional brand attributes of comfort and safety.