IT doesn't seem so long since talk in the Volvo company car park revolved around the changing face of the Swedish giant's wares.

The demise of the sharp edged boxy shape of the car maker's creations such as S70 saloon and V70 estate had helped introduce a much smoother look to the range.

My latest experience was in the company of the XC60 D5 AWD R-Design and I was immediately taken by an interior where everything looked spic and span and decidedly Scandinavian.

One quickly realises that there is plenty of room in this classy motor guaranteed to put a family of five passengers at their ease. Junior members of the gang can easily cope with life in the easy-fold rear seats courtesy of a one lever operation while the built-in booster seat borrowed from the XC90 certainly contributes to family life on board.

The five-door XC60 also has a family-friendly boot capacity which rises from a standard 500 litres to around 1,500 litres.

There is plenty of oddments room with hidy holes scattered throughout the cabin while the dash is well designed  and comprehensively kitted out.

The instruments are large and easy to read, standard climate control is pretty straightforward, delivering good output, directional control and consistency while the car has electric windows all round along with the option of an electric sunroof.

On the road visibility is very good to front and sides but some drivers may note some restriction over the shoulder while, when reversing the high tail and slim back window can impair sightlines.

There is plenty of feel to the beefy D5 diesel engine and the real strength of the XC60 D5 AWD is the highly sophisticated stability and traction control which, without input from the driver makes the car less likely to slip and slide in bad conditions.

Whatever the surface the surprisingly refined  XC60 handled well and, along with confidence building road holding certainly made a friend of my family members and, while they had no idea of what a "Crossover" was before we embarked, they certainly did at the end of the trip.

Overall, the Swedish car maker appears to have got to grips with the art of making stylish yet practical and, of course, safe, cars, for this is a striking design that really stands out, despite the hefty legions of competition out there.