new Volvo S60

There's room for improvement, but the new Volvo S60 is the safety-conscious Swedish brand's best yet - all with the ability to detect and automatically avoid a pedestrian.

Riding on grippy 18-inch wheels the new S60 T6's 3.0-litre turbocharged engine accelerates swiftly and decisively, using the all-wheel-drive system to resist wheelspin.

The flexibility of the engine makes light work of overtaking.

However, the six-speed automatic transmission is less impressive, often finding itself caught in the wrong gear. Of course there's a manual override, allowing the driver to take more control, although it defeats the purpose of an automatic transmission.

There's a characteristic gruffness to the engine sound, but it suits the demeanour of the car.

Through corners, the S60 is an impressive device, gripping well and settling itself through the bend.

Deep grates or sharp-edged bumps see the car jolt inelegantly, although the overall body control is generally good.

Inside, the new Volvo S60 is bigger than before, although it's clearly still a compact sedan.

Volvo has also fitted a new control system to make it easier to navigate the various features in the colour screen.

Volvo's simulation involved an immobile dummy planted on the road.

As the car approaches the dummy, the car faithfully applies the brakes aggressively and avoids the impact.