Volvo V60 review

The entry price for the V60 with the B3 engine in base-spec Plus trim is £42,015, a figure that's climbed by more than seven grand in the last 18 months. You can blame the chip crisis, supply issues and inflation for that. Meanwhile the quicker, cleaner B4 is £2k more.

As standard you get the nine-inch, Google-programmed infotainment screen, a 10-speaker sound system, four USB sockets and Volvo's City Safety system, though you'll pay extra for the more sophisticated all-round sensors; radar cruise, Pilot Assist, blind-spot alert and reversing cross-traffic alert.

You also gate automatic LED headlights with an active high beam, a rear parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, a power-operated tailgate, two-zone climate control, cruise control, heated front seats and that 12.3in instrument cluster. Not a bad haul by any stretch.

The standard connected navigation has an onboard SIM modem, so it has high-resolution traffic mapping and you can remotely control some car functions by phone app.

The only other trim right now is the top-spec Ultimate, which adds things like a panoramic roof, the more premium Harman Karon sound system, electrically adjustable front seats, tinted rear windows and of course the fancier driver aids. The bootlid becomes one of those you can open by waggling your foot underneath it, too. Expect to pay about £6k more for the upgrade.

The plug-in hybrids straddle the trims, costing £51,620 and £58,320 respectively. The acceleration of the T8 is addictive, but do you really need it? You're not getting any more zero-emissions range for your money either: both manage about 54 miles WLTP. 19in wheels are standard throughout the line-up.

Remember we mentioned the B5 engine? That's the preserve of the higher-riding, off-roadier V60 Cross Country these days. £49k is your starting figure, if muddy fields are your thing.

Subscription rates (yes, that's what Volvo calls its in-house finance offering) start from £679 per month, rising to £859 per month for the priciest T8. Quite steep, in other words, and that's with the most paltry allowance of 6,000 miles per annum. Drive more? Pay more.

There's something to be said for Volvo's Car By Volvo service, mind. Should you choose, one monthly payment can cover the car loan, servicing, insurance, and various concierge add-ons such as loan of any different Volvo for a week a year.

Because the insurance can be worked into this flat fee, you can lend the car to anyone with a licence (via an app actually, so they don't even need the key). If you currently pay a high premium this'll look like good value, but if your premium is low – you careful-driving, rural-living, respectable-jobbed person – it might not look such great value.