Volvo V60 is a contender for the best-looking family car money can buy

“LOOKS like a slightly smaller V90,” a fellow motoring journalist said with disdain in his voice on the Volvo V60 launch recently.

It’s been two weeks since then and I still can’t see how that’s a criticism.

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Standing alone against a Yorkshire countryside backdrop so beautiful it would leave WH Auden lost for words, the display V60 was still the prettiest thing in sight.

We all know by now that boxy Volvos are a thing of the past — it’s becoming as forgotten as the days when Skoda made unreliable cars or Minis were actually mini — but its current pair of estates are downright stunning.

Actually, when you look properly, you notice the V60 has a sexier bum than the lardier V90, and the sweeping, angular scoops along the profile mean it would stand out even if you parked outside Harrods.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a contender for best-looking family car money can buy — save perhaps for the Jaguar XF Sportbrake.

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You might not think looks are important to the average Volvo driver — they’re more “what’s on the inside that counts” kinda people.

But that’s just what they tell their shy kids when dropping them off at prep school.

Deep down they are as unashamedly shallow as the rest of us. And all the better for it.

That said, we’d better discuss what’s going on behind the closed five doors.

Despite being smaller than the V90, it still boasts the best luggage capacity in its class, at 529 litres.

Every model comes with a powered tailgate too, a thoughtful touch considering the target audience.

Other standard kit includes a 9in touchscreen — hosting satnav on every model — voice control system and LED lights.

The interior landscape is equal in beauty to the exterior design, and it is ergonomically perfect.

Volvo’s minimalistic approach to clunky switchgear, controlling almost everything from the steering wheel and portrait touch screen, minimises the time your eyes are off the road.

The pimping Bowers & Wilkins sound system will cost you extra, though, as will four-zone climate control, which is disappointing.

Like all cars, it’s not perfect. As I said, bolting on extra tech quickly ratchets up the price.

And being so large, when you start combining heavy throttle with harder lock-on bends, the V60 starts to feel just a little bit understeery.

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A whisper of chatter can be felt from the back wheels on unpredictable Tarmac too, but that would be quickly dampened by the Barbour jackets, Hunter wellies and two labradors.

The auto ’box isn’t as urgent as it could be either, but I’m nitpicking here.

At the moment you can choose from two diesels and one petrol engine, and three trim levels.

These will expand down the line, with at least two hybrid powertrains as Volvo continues its march towards the electric future.

Remember, this is the company which wants 50 per cent of its sales to be fully EV by 2025.

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And for anyone who dismisses Volvos as overpriced, on a PCP deal you can bag one for £279 a month.

Not bad for this much machine.

If you want a true driver’s car, until the crazy-fast T8 hybrid turns up next year, I would still consider the BMW 3 Series or Audi A4 Avant first.

But if drop-dead good looks, bucketloads of easy-to-use tech, and plenty of space are what float your boat, the V60 wins the estate war hands down — little brother to the V90 or not.

Power-mad Porsche leads the charge

NEARLY 90mpg and more than 450bhp sounds like some sort of dream.

Especially from a car with loads of space and a Porsche badge on the nose.

Porsche’s new plug-in Cayenne E-Hybrid, as well as being efficient, is chuffing quick – it will monster the 0-62mph run in five seconds dead and crack 157mph.

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The Cayenne starts off in super-silent EV mode and can stay that way for 27 miles at speeds up to 84mph.

In theory, so long as you keep it fully charged, you’ll barely need to top up with petrol.

Unless your commute is 28 miles and you consistently break the speed limit, that is.

If staying in EV isn’t for you there’s Hybrid mode, which finds the most efficient way to use the car’s petrol and electric power sources to get you from A to B, or there’s Sport and Sport+ modes for... fun.

It may seem odd to have an eco-friendly car with a sport mode on board, but it’s brilliant. With the petrol and electric powerplants working together, acceleration is ferocious and addictive.

As you sit pretty high in the Cayenne you can literally look down on people driving slower, more polluting cars as you fly past.

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Oh, and if the drive modes aren’t enough, the Sport Response button on the wheel sets everything to angry, giving 20 seconds of maximum attack fun.

So it’s eco, it’s fast and it’s big, but it’s also pretty comfy.

Yes, it weighs a little over three tons but its suspension does a good job of keeping the ride steady and smooth on all but the roughest roads.

As we’re heading towards electrifying every car, things like this Cayenne show that a green future isn’t a bad thing.

Tech can be used not only for economy, but for speed as well.

Reader's car of the week

I BET Mark Tomlinson, from Queensbury, West Yorks, feels king of the road in this.

Mark says: “This is my 2005 Range Rover Sport HSE, 2.7 diesel auto with 240bhp. It has air suspension, touch screen satnav and full black leather with heated seats.

“It’s done 112,000 miles and I’m the third owner. It cost £55,000 new but I paid £12,000 for it two-and-a-half years ago. It is handy for getting me to work in the winter.”

To see your pride and joy here, send me a picture and brief description to [email protected]

Bike news

By Ian McCaffrey

HAS a bike ever been better named than Honda’s new Monkey?

Cheeky? Definitely. A hoot to ride? Yep. And a machine that’s perfect for the urban jungle out there.

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Massive in the Seventies, the Monkey has been updated with USD forks, ABS, an LCD dash and LED lighting. So far, so good. But can it still cut it as a modern-day traffic assassin? We took one through London’s rush hour to find out.

First thing first. While the mini bike looks kind of small (yet perfectly formed), once you climb on board, some weird Tardis thing happens and it feels like you’re sitting on a normal-sized bike.

Turn on the ignition and the dash lights up and winks at you. So you’re already smiling before you pull away.

Once up to speed, you immediately feel how light and flickable the Monkey is.

Wet weight is just 107kg, so the 125cc air-cooled engine has all the grunt you need for city and town riding.

And the suspension (double shocks on the rear) soaks up the potholes.

Our route took in some of London’s most iconic sights... and most clogged roads. From the Ace Cafe near Wembley, down the Westway towards Tussauds, then right to Belgravia Square, Battersea Park, along the Embankment to the Bike Shed in Shoreditch (great burgers, btw).

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In a car you’d be contemplating dark thoughts after about five minutes but on the Monkey, filtering is a breeze, every traffic gap is just another opportunity to nip past and beat the queues.

The groovy retro styling is spot on, from the chrome mudguards, to the scrambler-look high exhaust and the old-school Honda logo on the seat.

So apart from being a massive laugh and a great way to get about, what else has it got? Well, how about insanely frugal fuel consumption? You could get 230 miles out of the tiny 5.6-litre tank. That’s about £7.50 worth of petrol. What’s not to love about that?

For some people, the Monkey will just be a toy to hoon about on. And that’s cool. But kind of a waste.

Because if you live in a town or city this could be seriously viable as your main commuter bike. For just £3,699 new.

And, for me, that’s what makes Honda’s new Monkey the business.