"I'M sorry about the gearbox," began the delivery man in apologetic tones.
My heart sank, I wondered what was coming.
It turned out to be nothing mechanical, thank heavens.
Instead, he was flagging up the fact that the leather gear knob cover was worn and you couldn't make out what, I presume, were once white figures indicating its six speeds, plus reverse.
"Reverse is over here," he said, pulling the gear to the right and back, before leaving the vehicle with me.
Maybe that put the gearbox subconsciously into my mind. Because the thing that impressed me most - and there is much to be impressed by on the V70 - was the gearbox.
It was so satisfyingly smooth, moving with a mere flick of the hand, with the car ultra-responsive but in a quiet, almost understated way.
Usually on a car of this size, I prefer an automatic gearbox, but in this case I was more than happy with the manual.
The new V70 will surely reinforce Volvo's dominance of the luxury estate market, for it is a formidable car that offers a combination of ultra-cool Scandanavian design, luxury, athleticism and uncompromised load-carrying versatility.
In a nutshell, it offers more of everything compared with its predecessor. It's more luxurious inside, it's more dynamic to drive, offers more intelligently configured and flexible space for both passengers and luggage and, as you would expect, it's safer than ever.
The V70 is the jewel in Volvo's crown and, as ever, is built to last. A friend of mine has an earlier incarnation which is just about clocking up 100,000 miles and he remains delighted with it.
Volvo engineers and designers wanted to ensure that the occupants using the new model have a first class driving experience.
But while it may set a new benchmark for style and luxury, it's still a Volvo estate, so its owners get terrific load-lugging ability and versatility.
It also has claim to a world first aimed at families - an integrated rear child booster seat with two heights. The seat's adjustable dual stage booster cushion means the seatbelt geometry is at its optimum irrespective of the child's height.The seatbelts themselves are fitted with specially adapted force limiters for smaller occupants.
The V70's revised tailgate design now makes the boot opening even larger than before and the boot has grown by an effective 55 litres over the outgoing car.
My test car featured a very useful power operated tailgate, too. At £350 it doesn't come cheap and I initially thought it snobbish and an add-on I could live without but, actually, it is a big help and does make life simplier when loading and unloading.
The car also features 40-20-40 three-part split rear seats to provide 16 different combinations. The centre backrest can be lowered to house longer items or raised to provide an additional seat, or the larger backrests folded separately to create a flat-floored load area.
FAST FACTS
Volvo V70 2.5T SE
Price: £26,495
Mechanical: 200ps, 2,521cc, 5cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 130mph
0-62mph: 8.1 secs
Combined mpg: 30.4
Insurance group: 16
CO2 emissions: 222g/km
BiK rating: 31%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles, 3yrs paint, 8yrs anti-rust