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Car review: Volvo V60 T4 Automatic SE Lux Nav

Tech control: the V60 has safety extras
Tech control: the V60 has safety extras

Not only is Volvo’s V60 stylish and — despite its compact lines — spacious, it gives peace of mind, too.

Volvo has long been at the forefront of safety, and if you order the £1,900 Driver Support Pack, you get Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake, so if you fail to react to a hazard ahead, the car will apply the brakes for you, right up to motorway speeds. It even includes cyclist and pedestrian detection — a London life-saver.

The pack also offers adaptive cruise control, distance alert, lane-keeping aid, driver alert control, road sign information display and Blind Spot Information with Cross Traffic Alert. Standard equipment on every V60 (no wonder Euro NCAP gave it five stars) includes City Safety, which spots hazards ahead at up to 31mph, also applying brakes automatically if the driver doesn’t react in time.

What else do you get? In the case of the T4 Automatic SE Lux, quite a lot, including a peppy 190bhp petrol engine (three diesels are also available) that is hushed at town speeds, throatier under acceleration. The 6-speed automatic gearbox — a £1,485 option — helps make this a crisp, but relaxing car to drive.

The ride is pliant and the cabin, with its high-quality materials, is roomy. The seats are brilliantly supportive, offering an excellent driving position. The boot has 430 litres of space, but is easily extended by folding the seats down completely. The V60’s eye-catching, dart-like lines are just the icing on the cake for this accomplished estate.

Volvo V60 T4 Automatic SE Lux Nav
Top speed: 140mph;
C02: 136 g/km;
0-60mph: 6.9sec;
Price: £30,775