THE Volvo XC90 was something of a ground-breaker when it was first launched in 2002 and went on to enjoy a lengthy and highly successful production run.Perhaps its greatest claim to fame was that even Jeremy Clarkson liked it!

In some ways it was the ultimate family-friendly vehicle - spacious and practical, it could transport seven people and also had Volvo's enviable reputation for safety.Perhaps the only criticism that could be levelled at it was that it again like many Volvos it could be considered somewhat staid.

Its success was such that it was always going to be a difficult car to replace.But not only have Volvo managed to come up with the goods in that regard the Swedish car-maker has actually surpassed itself.

Whereas the old XC90 for all its merits ultimately struggled to keep pace with German rivals this all-new version is something of a pace-setter and quite possibly the class leader.

The overall profile is certainly different to its predecessor and in some ways it's a little more boxy but it cleverly fuses that traditional SUV styling with a very modern look.To my mind it actually looks smaller than the model it replaces but first appearances can often be deceptive and that's certainly the case here.It's actually bigger in pretty much every respect.

Sticking with a transversely mounted engine means far more space can be given over to the car's interior and Volvo get ten out of ten for clever use of space.

There are three rows of seats and while the third row does offer less headroom and is more challenging to access the seats themselves are comfortable and actually capable of accommodating adults. The fact the first two rows recline and slide means more legroom can be created too.

Best of all though is a boot that's capable of carrying far more than just a few bags of shopping with all seven seats in use.

With a full passenger complement there's 451 litres of boot space. The rearmost seats fold away easily to give 1,102 litres as a five-seater and with all the rear seats folded you get 1,951 litres.

The XC90s cabin is sublime and exemplary build quality and insulation means you're wonderfully cocooned from the outside world.

Having once been characterised by somewhat dated switchgear Volvo have now gone to the other end of the spectrum.The busy and cluttered XC90 dash has of old has received a Scandinavian minimalist makeover with entertainment, sat nav, climate and Bluetooth systems now controlled by a nine-inch central touchscreen.

It might seem a somewhat daunting prospect at first but for the iPad generation it makes perfect sense and it's amazingly easy and intuitive to use, to the point where before too long you start to feel that those switch and dial set-ups are positively dated.

A distinguishing mechanical feature of the latest XC90 is that it only comes with 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines.Any preconceptions about these Drive-E lacking power are quickly dismissed though.

This 222bhp D5 diesel felt smooth, potent and punchy right through the rev range and is more than up to the job, even with a full load.

A 316bhp petrol-powered T6 offers real pace while the flagship model the T8 plug-in petrol hybrid will deliver 295bhp and must surely offer one of the best combinations of performance and economy around.

All models come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive.