VOLVO isn't a firm that favours frippery or unnecessary change. Flashy gimmicks and gizmos are eschewed in favour of safety features and steady evolution.

That's why the revamped big selling XC40 may go almost unnoticed. Sure there are new bumpers front and rear and marginally smaller LED headlights but there's little else to identify the latest version visually.

But beneath the skin - or rather beneath the bonnet - the old 1.5-litre, three cylinder engine has been ditched in favour of a sweeter, smoother 2.0-litre four cylinder unit.

The mild hybrid unit not only boasts more power and greater torque, but its less prone to vibration and quicker off the mark without jeopardising economy. The two wheel drive B3 version we drove is mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

In Ultra trim, as reviewed, its fully stacked with kit including heated front seats which are electrically adjusted, heated steering wheel, panoramic sliding glass sunroof, heads-up display and front and rear sensors. Also standard is a Google sat nav system which will, no doubt, be familiar to many owners.

A drawback is that for some services - radio and heated seats - several taps of the screen are necessary. Fortunately, the audio volume is a conventional and sturdy knob.

Special mention must be made of the well-shaped front seats which hug and support you better than most. These are electrically adjustable. The seats in the rear are also perfectly good but understandably less shaped.

The cabin, itself, impresses with its high grade plastic mouldings, easy to read screen and general classiness. Although the XC40 design has been around for more than half a decade its styling remains contemporary and appealing if somewhat mundane externally.

Legroom front and back is generous enough, partly due to the upright seating positions and high roofline.

The boot has a fairly high platform and can carry about 442 litres of cargo. It's regularly shaped but smaller than a number of rivals. The tailgate is electrically assisted and - like many similar systems - isn't quite fast enough to beat sheeting rain!

There are ample storage spaces within the cabin thanks to a deep central box, wide door pockets and a spacious glove box. The XC40 lives up to the marque's family friendly reputation.

Despite being quite sprightly off the mark, thanks partly to the small electric motor, the XC40 makes no pretences at being particularly sporty - quietness and refinement are its bywords. Nevertheless it corners quite crisply though with a tad more roll than an Audi or BMW equivalent.

The seven-speed automatic transmission marries well with the torquey four-pot engine. It does come with steering wheel paddles which would introduce great driver participation and control.

The ride is softer than some but has the advantage of soaking up the majority of road imperfections, which helps to make it a relaxing long distance express.