By Ken Fletcher

PRACTICAL and boring – that was the trademark opinion of Volvo estate cars – but not any more. The new V90 estate blows that concept out of the water.

Now the epitome of style and with one of the best cabins in the business, there is little wonder that this remarkable re-invention of its roots by the Swedish company was rewarded by it being made 'Scottish Car of the Year 2016' just a few weeks after it was launched in the UK.

So, you might ask, why is it No 3 on your Santa's wish? Well it's my Christmas party and I'll choose what I want to!

It's a design tour de force and a veritable smorgasbord of fresh thinking from Gothenburg. Even the most basic version, the D4 Momentum, rates very high on the quality front and has an on-the-road price of under £35,000.

First impression is that this is a sleek, low slung and very stylish estate. But the svelte look is all down to the cosmetics as the numbers show this is much the same silhouette as Volvo's previous large estates.

As you would expect, room in the cab is pretty much class leading, and living up to its traditional view as Volvo's 'antique dealer special', there's a big load area in the back, though it is slightly compromised by a change in design away from the traditional Volvo box, to a more sloping roofline.

A writing desk sized 560 litres is there with the rear seats up and just to the load cover level and 1526 litres up to the roof, plus a tall boy bay with the seats down.

In the D4 model as tested, there's a 187bhp diesel engine driving through an eight-speed auto' 'box. The test car was a front-wheel-drive version, but the Cross Country version will soon be available for those who need it to cater for farm roads.

Under the bonnet the other option is the 232bhp D5 spec' – featuring PowerPulse technology to keep fuel bills down, even though it only comes in four-wheel drive form. There will also soon be a T8 plug-in hybrid with a supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine.

Even the lower powered version, though, can show a fair turn of speed, with the 0-62mph dash done in 8.5 seconds. And, it should return 50mpg-plus in the real world – the official stats say 60-plus mpg is possible.

But the standout feature for me was the interior design. Functionality is a key word here and the V90 excels with its clear to use touchscreen which controls most functions and soft curves and really quality materials, a mix of leather and soft-shell plastics and wood.

Users will quickly get used to the large touchscreen options as there are no fiddly bits which require pinpoint precision to enact.

Even the base model Momentum gets a whole heap of standard equipment. Sat-nav, dual-zone climate control, leather-faced upholstery, heated front seats, internet connection, LED headlights, powered tailgate, adaptive cruise control are all included.

The use of advanced technology abounds in the V90, but do not despair, much of it is easily useable and controllable. It has Pilot Assist, a semi-autonomous technology, as standard. This driver aid takes care of the steering, acceleration and braking at up to 80 mph, helping to make long motorway journeys less stressful and tiring.

Those in country areas will also appreciate the safety measures afforded by the 'large animal detection' and 'run-off road mitigation' gizmos. The former helps to prevent collisions with animals such as deer by scanning the area in front of the car and automatically applying the brakes in an emergency if you fail to react in time.

Run-off road mitigation stops the car inadvertently leaving the road by applying the steering if the car gets too close to the edge of the carriageway.

Costing £34,555 in this form makes this a very affordable and useful estate car, which also looks pretty damned hot in the driveway.