The best cars I have ever owned are the ones I fell in love with. Let me say from the start, I would never fall in love with the Volvo V40 Cross Country, or any other small family hatchback for that matter.

The V40 is one of the smartest small hatchbacks on the market, especially with the additional Cross Country trim. And that’s despite the fact this model is no better off road than the other two-wheel drive V40s.

The extra body mouldings and slightly raised suspension are supposed to appeal to our adventurous spirit. I would rather spend the £1000 premium for the Cross Country on an adventure holiday instead.

Like all Volvos, the V40 is packed with safety equipment but some of it can be infuriating, as our earlier reports reveal. That said, it does feel like a well-built, robust car that’s well screwed together.

The D4 diesel engine is excellent but trying to keep the front wheels from spinning under acceleration is surprisingly hard. If only this car really did have four-wheel drive!

It has served us well over Christmas, averaged over 47mpg, carried five people in reasonable comfort and waded through many a flood too – but we are not going to fall in love, that’s for sure.