Could a Volvo topple a BMW for performance and an Audi for styling? The Swedes have given us one to play with for the weekend, and we’ve been properly surprised at the results.

Yes, it's a Volvo, but no, it isn't what you think. You might imagine that with a name that starts with 'Vol' and ends with 'vo', you'd be getting yourself involved with a car that's all about pedestrian safety, collision alarms, airbags and all of that dreary nonsense. But while the new S60 maintains its traditional values very well, it's also been called their "naughtiest car yet" by the Swedes. What's that all about?

Well, it's a four-door sedan that's a bit of a rocket, has enough space in the boot to fit a six-foot human and some luggage inside (we tried); is comfortable enough to take the grandparents out for Sunday lunch; and has the long list of very useful day-to-day driving aids of a Volvo to do all of this safely.

And while the T5 (2.0l) might be priced at a slightly daunting RM255,000 for a Volvo (plus-minus some of the cool features that we had to play with), it's surprisingly not quite a price tag to run away from and head over to a different dealership just yet.

Here's why.

SEE THE NEXT PAGES FOR MORE ON OUR WEEKEND TEST DRIVE WITH THE VOLVO S60 T5