IN a world where the latest electric hypercars are producing enough power to pull a train or reach more than 200 miles an hour, Volvo is a breath of fresh air.

The company has long been the world leader on safety, right from the 1950s when it followed Saab by introducing seatbelts as standard in 1958.

Since then it has been at the forefront of keeping us safe on the road and was the company that most others followed for many years.

Now, in a further bold safety move, it's decided to limit the top speed of all its cars to 112 miles an hour, sending a strong signal about the dangers of speeding.

The company's Vision 2020 aim is that no one will be killed or seriously injured in one of its new cars from this year on. It's one of the most ambitious safety visions in the automotive industry.

Realising that technology alone will not get the injury figures down, Volvo is broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behaviour and speeding in particular.

It realizes that a speed limitation is not a cure-all, but believes it's worth doing if just one life can be saved.

And apart from that, it's also investigating how in the future, a combination of smart speed control and sat nav could automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals.

At the moment, the S60 still has a top speed of 145 miles an hour. But the point is: where can you use that sort of speed anyway, without getting your collar felt by the boys in blue?

The S60, in T5 form, has front wheel drive and a superb eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Its hugely refined and delightfully hushed at most speeds and has a marvellous DAB sound system so that you can enjoy your favourite sounds the while.

There is enough acceleration for swift and safe overtaking, and as a long distance cruiser, this one is right at the top of the tree, with sumptuous leather seats that help the driver stay focussed and alert.

There are no diesels in the latest USA-built saloon line-up, but instead, there is an all wheel drive plug-in electric hybrid called the T8, with excellent economy, low emissions and capable of 35 miles on electric power alone.

All the cars in the range come with the automatic gearbox, which is just as it should be as far as I'm concerned, and of course, before the limited top speed, the S60 already has the widest possible array of safety devices to help keep occupants safe.

This includes a lane keeping aid, reversing camera and parking sensors, park assistance, cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, speed sign assistance, collision avoidance assistance and active bending headlights that seem to help see round corners.

The Inscription model also has a marvellous heated steering wheel and heated seats, excellent sat nav, keyless entry and starting, a digital screen with analogue-look instruments, voice activation for many functions and automatic phone pairing.

As if all this was not enough to whet the appetite, this S60 is stand-out gorgeous from every angle, with strong, svelte lines that make some of the competition look a little dowdy.