If you can remember the Volvo 940 then you can also remember that the estate version was not dissimilar to a wardrobe on wheels.

Eventually the Swedish firm realised that just because it was built like a brick outhouse, it didn’t have to look like one and so it was that the S40 and S80 that followed demonstrated a greater focus on style.

The 60 series, driven here in R-design spec, arrived in 2010 with swooping lines, short overhangs and tapered window line.

It’s a good-looking car by any measure, not just in practical vehicle world where estates reside alongside MPVs, vans and mobility scooters.

Despite the added creativity, perhaps Volvo’s boldest decision is to only offer four-cylinder engines in their cars. There’s a power output for every occasion and performance from the 2.0-litre D4 diesel under the bonnet of my test car, which produced a respectable 190hp, was brisk enough to provide a not insignificant shove in the back when you put your foot down

The eight-speed automatic changes gear with little fuss when you’re just pottering around and doesn’t waste any time hunting down ratios on kickdown. There is also the option to change gear with the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The steering, though a little vague, is precise but the lack of a connection between you and the road beneath your wheels does slow progress.

What you give up in dynamism is more than compensated for in ride quality. There’s a tangible difference between trundling around town, where it can occasionally be found wanting, to travelling at speed on a motorway, where it’s simply sublime, but overall it achieves genuine and impressive comfort that leaves many of its rivals in the shade.

Volvo’s “adaptive display” combines the flexibility of digital with the clarity of analogue and includes three themes – Eco, Elegance and Performance – that alter the colours, layout and information displayed. It’s one of the most attractive dashboards I’ve seen.

It’s a pity that simplicity hasn’t been carried over to the centre console, where a cluster of buttons – some of which are made slightly awkward to access by the gear lever – spoil the effect.

I couldn’t fault the driving position and the electrically adjustable – and heated – leather seats were very supportive.

There’s ample headroom throughout the car while legroom in the rear is adequate even with the front seats in their rear-most position but if you’re over six feet I wouldn’t be looking forward to spending extended periods in the back.

That added style does come at a cost, however, and if you imagined squeezing the old three-piece suite in the back to haul down to the dump well, I’m afraid those days are gone.

If you’re after a genuine honest-to-goodness load-lugger then you might have to consider other options, all the V60’s German rivals can carry more, but none of them can match the Volvo’s good looks.

The V60 is quiet and composed on the motorway and pretty competent on single-track rural lanes too.

The engine is efficient, powerful and refined and it’s all beautifully wrapped in a sumptuous - for an estate - silhouette.

Unless your head is ruled by your heart, and you're already dreaming of a three-pointed star or four interlocked rings, the V60 should at least make it onto your 'one to look at' list.

V60 D4 R-Design Lux Nav Auto

Price: £29,645

As tested: £37,974

Engine: In-line four cylinder turbo diesel

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Acceleration (0-62mph): 7.4sec

Top speed: 143mph

Fuel economy (combined): 67mpg

Emissions: 109g/km

For more information visit www.volvo.co.uk