Volvo ditched the diesel engine a while in the past, with V60s now supplied as B4 petrols, like this one, which is a range-topping £48,070 Extremely, or T6 plug-in hybrids. The relaunched V90 comes solely as a plug-in hybrid.

So the engine here’s a mildly hybrid construct for mooching, however really fairly nimble by immediately’s requirements 2.0-litre inline-four producing 197bhp and 221lb ft, driving by way of a seven-speed dual-clutch automated transmission (somewhat than the eight-speed torque converter). automobile from earlier diesels, as was our 2018 street take a look at V60).

There’s nonetheless no steering wheel paddles although, and whereas the gears are generally hesitant to essentially get going from a standstill, it is one thing I actually do not thoughts: it could look odd to have flappy paddles in a automobile that nutty as that is: as quickly as you progress alongside, the engine fades to inaudibility.

Trip consolation is sweet because the V60 runs on 235/40 R19 tyres, that are the one possibility so far as I can inform, and whereas Volvos have by no means been the sportiest automobiles of their lessons (they usually’re all the higher for it) , in a world of two-plus-ton wagons, driving one thing that is 1.44m lengthy and weighs 1734kg brings a way of lightness and agility, comparatively talking: it’s nearly 700 kg lighter than, for instance, the BMW i5.

It is also half a ton lighter than a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. These things issues in the long run. The delicate hybrid means I managed as shut as 40mpg, which is not a determine that will get folks sending postcards house nowadays, however it’s nearly as good a quantity as we acquired from our diesel street take a look at V60 in 2018.