Few cars on earth go to such lengths to keep you on the straight and narrow as Volvo’s S60.

First, a digital display on the dashboard shows not only your current speed but also the speed limit in force.

If that was not enough, the same information also appears right in front of you on the windscreen, courtesy of a jet fighter pilot-style head-up display.

There’s more too. Approach a speed camera or school and the display flashes up the appropriate warning symbol alongside the speed limit in force.

These are just a couple of examples of the technology packed into this stylish, beautifully crafted and technically advanced four-door saloon.

Built on the same platform underpinning all Volvo 60 and 90 series cars, the mid-size S60 offers plenty of space for five adults and their luggage, thanks to a large boot with a ski hatch.

Like the V60 estate, the S60 has a new grille and the “Thor’s hammer” LED headlight design.

Inside, Volvo has taken cues from the clean, Scandinavian interior styling first introduced in the 90 Series cars, with natural materials and new details on the dashboard and instrument panel.

The console is dominated by the Sensus touchscreen, an iPad Mini-sized, portrait-oriented screen, which gives easy and fast access to a host of functions from satellite navigation and Bluetooth phone link, to in-car entertainment applications such as Spotify, Pandora, Baidu or TuneIn. The system also allows smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The S60 is powered by Volvo’s Drive-E petrol powertrains and is the first Volvo car to be sold without a diesel option.

Power on the car driven here came from a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine capable of delivering a meaty 250 horsepower, mated to an automatic transmission complete with a drive mode selector which allows you to flick between eco, comfort, dynamic and individual settings.

Comfort mode suits the car to a tee, delivering a relaxed, refined ride with enough feel and feedback to make country road driving interesting.

Some German competitors might offer more responsive steering and sharper handling, but the S60 delivers real long-distance cruising poise.

As you would expect from a company whose stated aim is that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, the car is fitted with numerous safety systems designed to protect people inside and outside the car.
Its City Safety technology, standard on all its models, combines automatic braking and collision avoidance systems, which the company says is the only system on the market that detects pedestrians, cyclists and large animals such as deer.
As well as the petrol engine, and underlining Volvo’s move towards electrification, the S60 is also available with two petrol plug-in hybrid options, both linked to four-wheel-drive transmissions.

Volvo says the plug-in hybrid delivers all the benefits of a high-performance, low-emission petrol engine, coupled with an electric motor that delivers power on demand and more than 25 miles of pure electric range.

The new T6 Twin Engine generates a combined 340 horsepower and the T8 Twin Engine delivers 400 horsepower, which is clearly more than enough to get you into trouble if not managed sensibly.

But if you pick up a speeding ticket while driving an S60 you will only have yourself to blame.

Auto facts

Model: Volvo S60 R-Design Edition Auto

Price: £38,525

Insurance group: 34E (1-50)

Fuel consumption (combined): 39.8mpg

Top speed: 145mph

Length: 476.1cm/186.9in

Width: 185cm/72.6in

Luggage capacity: 442 litres/15.6 cu ft

Fuel tank capacity: 12.1 gallons/55 litres

CO2 emissions: 155g/km

Warranty: Three years/ 60,000 miles