BUYER’S GUIDE: Volvo XC60

Running costs

51-53mpg (D4)

£82 fill-up

Performance

0-62mph/top speed

8.4 seconds/127mph

VOLVO will celebrate its centenary in six years’ time, and since the company launched in 1927, its focus has always been on safety, while also trying to be environmentally responsible.

However, potential buyers have sometimes been confused as to where Volvo sat in the market. Were its cars premium or semi-premium? And were they one-trick ponies that offered impressive safety credentials but little else?

For a long time the company struggled to compete with prestige rivals such as BMW and Mercedes, whose cars were invariably more desirable and better to drive. But over the past decade, Volvo has really got its act together – and the XC60 Mk2 is the proof. It’s a cracking, family-friendly, mid-sized SUV that’s about as well rounded and desirable as they come.