Remember the enormous Volvo 245 back in the 1970s? In those days, a big bumper was all we needed to keep us from harm’s way. Or so the Swedes thought…

Almost 40 years on and the current Volvo estate has an array of safety features that is truly mind-boggling. In fact, it’s somewhat overwhelming in the V70, with alarm chimes and lights waiting to flash at the driver from all directions.

There are blind spot alerts by the door mirrors, anti-collision warning lights at the bottom of the windscreen that are triggered by radar, a gentle buzzing sound if you cross a white line without indicating… and so the list goes on and on.

If you are unlucky enough to hit a stray elk this winter then this is the car to do it in. Just one thing though, hill starts are damn near impossible in the V70 because it has a push button hand-brake. Not sure how that one slipped through the safety net…