Volvo station wagons reached a point when they achieved such a high level of safety and practicality than they became a bit of a cliché on wheels. The boxy-back shape had evolved to perfection for packing in gangs of children and wet Labradors. It was also an ultimately dependable machine that would keep moving forward in even the harshest climates. But someone told Volvo that these virtues just weren’t enough, they wanted sharp dynamics and even sharper styling. Could Volvo respond with a new excitement-injected wagon while still keeping its diehard family-focused fans content? The Swedish carmaker decided to find out with its new midsize V60 sport wagon. Car and SUV played Dad for a week to discover more.

The ‘boxy but good’ persona has been vacated with the V60, the good part remains, but the boxy, well that’s history. While Volvo’s curvaceous SUVs have been around for some time now the V60 represents a revolution in design for its station wagon body shape. At the front, it’s a carbon copy of its S60 sedan sibling with a lightly creased bonnet dipping into a corporate grille and purposeful dual headlights. Along the sides, the V60 cuts a mean profile with a flowing full-length shoulder line and a glasshouse that tapers away. With blackened-out pillars and a gradually sloping roof the V60 has a long, low coupe-like look but it’s at the back where the new design language is heard loudest. With hints of the C30 hatch the rear is framed by stretched vertical tail lamps a roof-mounted spoiler and a chunky bumper. A broad rear windscreen helps with visibility and the tailgate opening is as wide as the design allows. Our tested mid-spec V60 D5 model was finished with 17-inch alloys, integrated roof rails and dual exhaust tips. Aesthetically, the V60 has the look of a true sports wagon, it’s progressive and acts as a rolling public service announcement that buying a Volvo wagon can now be a decision based on visual appeal. Read the rest of this entry »