On sale now: Volvo S60 There's something very likeable about its sporty retro looks, which put in my mind a kind of 21st century Ford Capri with snarling twin exhausts to boot (take this as a compliment). On motorways or country roads, the £25,440 T3 R-Design's 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine (sourced from Ford) glided through the mid-range acceleration of 40-70mph. This being a Volvo of course safety remains a high priority, and there are lots of gizmos to promote responsible driving. I particularly liked the camera placed around the S60's rear bumper that enables you to see how well/badly you are reversing on a screen on the driver's instrumentation panel. I also liked the small lights located on the inside of the wing mirrors that come on to alert you to an overtaking car that passes through the vehicle's "blind spot." Simple but clever. Not so impressive is the lack of attention to detail when it comes to the driver's instrumentation panel, which seems a touch old-fashioned. A plethora of buttons and knobs was positively intimidating, and the navigation system short on crucial information. A small but pointless distraction at night was the conflicting colour schemes used to illuminate all those buttons and knobs: one set used green lights while the speedometer and fuel guage were lit up in blue. And is it just me, or are keyless electronic locking systems anything other than annoying? Surely such technology, which unlocks the car every time you walk close by with the key in my pocket merely panders to the very laziest among us who can't even be bothered to point the key at the car. But it's also infuriating and unnerving for OCDers like myself who every time they return to double-check the car is locked (key in pocket), it unlocks itself. Or perhaps I'm missing the point - that these cunning Swedish designers have devised a new form of aversion therapy to cure our motoring compulsions. On the plus side, the car delivered impressive fuel consumption. I travelled 350 miles, from London to Powys and back (for the Hay Festival Winter Weekend), and still had more than 100 urban miles left in the 67-litre tank. All in all, I rather liked this Volvo, which proved economical, quick and easy to handle.