Volvo V60

FIRSTDRIVE New estate is a compact exec hit for Volvo

- Steve Fowler

IT’S fair to say that Volvo can now officially be spoken about in the same breath as Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Led by its excellent SUV range and backed up by the S90 saloon and V90 estate, the Swedish brand now has the style and substance to go toe to toe with any of its premium rivals.

Now, though, it has a genuine compact executive class contender in the V60, albeit only in estate form for the time being. But would we take it over one of its established contenders?

The V60 is a handsome car, very similar to the bigger V90 in terms of proportion, but 180mm shorter and with enough detail differences to avoid any Audi ‘Russian doll’ comparisons. The now-familiar ‘Thor’s Hammer’ front LEDs and wraparound tail-lights are pure Volvo, but there are curvier lines along the flank.