CAR-MAKERS still don't seem to have quite made their minds up when it comes to deciding which is the best environmentally-friendly way to go for the future.

At one point the prevailing wisdom seemed to be that we would all be driving around in electric cars before too long.

But electric cars are still relatively thin on the ground and the reality of every car one day being electric is about as remote as people travelling around in the futuristic hover-cars featured in the space-age cartoon The Jetsons.

A wise old one once told me he thought car manufacturers might be better off going down the diesel hybrid route.

In many ways it makes a lot of sense and I imagine Volvo must have had this in mind when it dreamt up its V60 Plug-In Hybrid.

In many ways it's all things to all men. It has a diesel engine and an electric motor that can work independently or in tandem with the diesel unit. It can also be plugged in to the mains to recharge it in just over four hours.

It sounds like the perfect solution and in many ways it is, offering the best of both worlds in terms of electric or diesel power - or more frequently both combined.

Switch the engine on and the first thing you notice is the silence. I initially thought the battery was flat. In its pure electric mode this V60 makes no noise, a sensation which is eerie at first but something you soon get used to.

What is impressive is the simple way one can control the multiple mechanics of the car via three buttons on the centre console.

With the PURE button engaged you're driving a zero emissions electric car that can take you 31 miles on electricity alone.

In HYBRID mode the diesel engine and electric motor combine to deliver a more than decent drive where it's technically possible to achieve economy of 155mpg and emissions of just 48g/km.

Engage POWER mode and you get all-out performance combining diesel and electric power, a top speed of 142mph and the capability to reach 60mph in 5.8 seconds.

Another oh so clever capability is that it can be front-wheel, rear-wheel or four-wheel drive - depending on which mode you're using.

It sounds perfect and in many ways it is - it certainly felt like one of the best Volvos I've ever driven and unlike with some diesels the electric motor meant thee was no diesel lag whatsoever.

The effortless and seamless way diesel and electric power combine really is some feat of engineering and it's also fun playing around with all the different permutations.

The downside is the cost, at almost £50,000 this is without doubt the most expensive Volvo you can buy, by some considerable distance.

While it's unlikely you'll be able to recoup the difference in the savings you make regarding running costs it really is a car that delivers in terms of both performance and economy.

Probably the only other environmentally-friendly vehicle doing that currently is the electric-powered Tesla roadster.

Perhaps one of the few limitations is curtailed boot space due to the electric motor but it still offers the kind of carrying capacity of a medium-sized hatchback. Volvo's customary raft of safety systems - and more besides - mean this is also a super-safe car that does everything from monitoring your blind spot to warning you about moving lane.

Added to that the V60 is one of Volvo's modern crop of sleek and stunning creations which have done much to transform the brand.

This is the best looking estate car in its class and if one were making a purchase based purely on passion it would be a case of no contest whatsoever.

It's a world away from the boxy Volvo load-luggers of old, with curves-a-plenty and styling cues more suited to a coupe than an estate car.