THE sexy yet understated style, knockout punch and opulent interior makes the model stand out from the crowd. It's a sports saloon with serious street cred - and we're not talking Audi, BMW or Mercedes.
The latter trio may be the popular choice among buyers of compact executive cars, but Volvo's S60 has a charisma all its own; one that has seen its sales overtake even the V70 estate.
Those functional old square edged days were finally consigned to the history books and used car sites with the S60's arrival.
It slots between the smaller S40 and luxurious S80 and was styled with a 'cockpit-forward' look that design guru Peter Horbury described as "a new way of doing sports saloons".
On shape alone the S60 is a winner. Its low sloping roofline echoes that of the C70 coupe, while the dark egg-crate grille, V-shaped bonnet, pronounced shoulders and short rear overhang point to an immediate Volvo familiarity. Overall, it's an extremely stylish piece of work.
Powerful turbocharged engines are key features of the range, and while the savage 300bhp S60 R tops the line-up, the tested T5 isn't far behind.
It's a terrific car to drive, offering a silky smooth ride quality, loads of punch, six-speed manual gearbox and positive feel from the steering - only problem is that it gulps fuel.
Inside, everything is simply laid out, uncluttered and with a dashboard that's deliberately angled towards the driver for easy access.
A feature is the 'spaceball' gearshift that sticks out from an aluminium dome that displays the gear positions - it adds an extra sporty feel to the interior.
And a 'clean inside and out' programme ensures that the air through the cabin is always cleaner than that outside, and 75 per cent of the ground level ozone passing through the radiator is converted into oxygen.
If the S60 has a failing it's a common one for this size of car. Rear seat passengers are not blessed with the best of leg and headroom, though Volvo has set the seat bases lower than in its bigger cars to help with the latter.
The boot, though, holds almost as much as the S80 and is just as flexible thanks to split/fold rear seat and a ski hatch.
And of course there's that emphasis on safety, a commitment as old as the company itself.
Dual stage airbags for driver and front passenger, side impact bags to protect the chest, an inflatable curtain to guard against head injuries plus Volvo's whiplash system along with dynamic stability and traction control are all included as standard.
Sport specification includes Dynamic Stability Traction Control, electronic air-con, leather/textile seats,17-inch alloys, six-speaker CD sound system, cruise control and colour co-ordinated spoilers.
FAST FACTS
Volvo S60 T5 Sport
Price: £26,363
Mechanical: 260bhp, 2,401cc, 5cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 155mph
0-62mph: 6.5 secs
Combined mpg: 30.4
Insurance group: 16
CO2 emissions: 220g/km
BiK rating: 31%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 8yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint