Also included though, is a rewarding driving experience and the option of the class-leading combination of performance and efficiency you get with the Drive-E 2. 0-litre D4 diesel engine most will want. Potentially, it’s a surprising package.

If you never imagined yourself driving a Volvo estate car, then this is the one the brand wants you to try – the V60.

For the fully improved version, Volvo has brought us a D4 diesel variant offering a combination of performance and efficiency that no rivals can match. There are smarter looks too and extra technology, all delivered without sacrificing the substance and safety part of the brand value proposition.

Here’s a car based on an S60 four-door model the marque describes as a ‘premium sports saloon’. And it runs on the underpinnings of a Ford Mondeo, universally recognised as one of the most dynamically adept family cars out there. In other words, there are great grounds for optimism when it comes to the on the road experience. Optimism largely justified once you’re up to speed, provided you take the trouble to adjust your thinking into the distinctly Volvo feel this car has.

The updated version gets what Volvo describes as ‘more focused and determined-looking headlamps’, added to create what’s intended to be a more ‘expressive’ front end. The V60's horizontal lines have also been emphasised at both the front and rear and, together with details such as a wider grille and daylight running lights, the various changes give this car a more striking, purposeful presence.

At the wheel it’s all very nice indeed, with a premium feel right across the V60 range. The idea is that this cabin should be typically Scandinavian, comfortable, simple, intuitive and visually pleasing. And broadly it now is thanks to a subtle redesign which has introduced smarter materials and silk metal frames around the air vents and light controls, plus a re-designed gear knob.

One of the nicest touches that’s worth shelling out a little extra for is the hi-tech TFT instrument display. With the flick of a switch, you can choose between three different dial layouts – an amber back-lit ‘elegance’ setting for comfort-orientated day-to-day motoring, an green back-lit ‘eco’ setting to help you drive more economically and a red back-lit ‘performance’ mode to better suit for more spirited driving, the kind of thing the Swedish brand hopes this second generation model’s slightly lower driving position and smaller steering wheel will put you in the mood for. It’ll also help in this respect that that the signature Volvo ‘floating’ centre console is angled more towards the driver for a greater ‘cockpit’-style feel.

New though, is the clever ‘Sensus Connect’ infotainment system that allows you to add connectivity and internet access into the car. This set-up turns the 7-inch infotainment display you get on the dash into a state-of-the-art infrared, beam-scanned touch screen that can be used even when wearing gloves - a world first. As a driver, you’ve the choice of going online either via a car-mounted 3G/4G dongle or by using your own mobile phone. Hi-tech features include a voice-activation system that works on all music sources and the industry's first in-dash, fully integrated, voice search Spotify application. It’s also possible to share a WiFi network with everyone in the car.

Volvo estates aren’t what they used to be – and in this case, that’s a very good thing. This V60 has more stylish looks that build upon class-leading safety, solid build quality and a cool, classy Scandinavian feel. Particularly as in this case, for the first time, these virtues have been fused with more vibrant design, a driver-focused chassis and high-tech engine technology.

It’s that last element that should really revitalise this car’s appeal as a more cost-effective alternative to compact executive saloons. Any car that can deliver 99g/km of CO2, 62mph from rest in around seven and a half seconds and nearly 75mpg in regular use has to be worthy of anyone’s respect. A small brand Volvo may be but it’s punching well above its weight here.

This is then, a tale of the unexpected, both in style and speed. True, the sweeping shape has required practical compromises, but the result is a car that many drivers new to the brand will find hard to resist. Swede dreams might just be made of this.