VOLVO'S V60 Cross Country is a strange beast in many ways, bearing a name which implies it's designed for off-road work when strictly speaking it isn't.

But while it might not have the mud-plugging grip of a heavy duty 4x4 it does have a far more rugged appearance than the standard V60 model on which it's based and for many people that's the attraction.

Black mouldings cover the wheel arches and run along the sills while silver skid plates are fitted front and rear just below the bumpers.

But while these features might just be cosmetic the Cross Country does have far more ground clearance - 65mm more - than the standard V60 and for a lot of people that extra height is a big plus point.

Not only does it mean the Cross Country will tackle uneven terrain without bottoming but it also helps with ride comfort.

The new Cross Country is a stylish, competent five-seater estate car that is a world away from the boxy estates of the past.

A low tapering roofline, side windows which gradually narrow as you go from front to back of the car and a neat tailgate all combine to make this an estate car which doesn't really look like one.

Inside this model is well laid out, everything falls easily to hand and is intuitive. Unlike so many cars you don't have to spend a couple of hours with the manual to understand how things work.

This D4 SE model was powered by a 150bhp, 2.0-litre diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox which offered exceptionally low fuel consumption.

The manufacturer claims it will average more than 67 miles per gallon and, while I never achieved that, my average was never below 50mpg.

Despite it's frugality there is still plenty of power on tap with 62 miles per hour being reached from standstill in a very respectable 9.1 before topping out at 127mph.

Typical of Volvo it's a very well built car with a nice solid feel to it and to close the doors needs just the gentlest of touches.

In general it‘s a very quiet car too, although I did find the diesel engine a little noisy under pressure.

In the cabin there's a seven-inch display screen mounted in the centre stack and unusually it features a digital speed readout in the corner, presumably to allow to allow the front seat the passenger to know what speed they are travelling at - although in some cases that could lead to a few words.

Beneath the tailgate there's a generous 430 litres of luggage space expending to 1,241 litres with the rear seatbacks down.

One of the many little touches I liked about the car was the facility, at the touch of a button, to lower the rear headrests when there were no passengers in the back allowing better rear vision for the driver.