Take your place at the helm of the Volvo V60 Cross Country and you’ll struggle to tell the difference between it and a regular V60.

Blink and you’ll miss it brown stitching for the seats is about the only giveaway if you don’t go for the optional Cross Country-specific sports seats.

There’s a sleekness about the Cross Country’s dashboard design, but it is beginning to age now, particularly the centre console which is a button fetishest’s delight. That said all the switchgear is satisfying to operate – many controls have raised lips on the so your fingers can press them more easily.

Excellent comfortable seats

Similarly looking past their prime are the graphics for the sat-nav and infotainment screen, the standard five-inch version looks a bit downmarket for a car of this price too. That’s in stark contrast to the digital instrument display, which is standard on the Lux. They’re clear, classy and can be displayed in three different themes.

While the large steering wheel might take some getting used to you’ll feel immediately comfortable thanks to the excellent seats and a wide range of adjustment, electrically-operated on the Lux trim level.

At the heart of Volvo V60 Cross Country comfort are those superb seats. At first glance – and when settling in – they seem a little firm and unyielding, but you soon appreciate how supportive and comfortable they are. Long drives feel effortless and you emerge at your destination feeling fresh.

Front seat passengers do well for head and legroom but things are a little tighter in the back – the V60’s compact dimensions and sloping roofline impinging on rear seat comfort.

All V60 Cross Country models have climate control as standard, with convenient air vents in the pillars just ahead of the back doors to vent rear-seat passengers.

Solidly built and well-insulated from external elements, the Volvo’s a quiet car in which to travel although at higher revs the diesel engines become significantly more audible but not unpleasantly so.

One further advantage of the Cross Country’s 65mm ride height increase is that it’s also easier to get in and out of, something to consider if you regularly ferry someone around who’s less mobile.