Car manufacturers drift in and out of favour with the passage of time. Right now, Volvo is one of the brands of the moment – revived, revamped and poking a stick at the likes of BMW and Jaguar.

The Swedes have always traded on the safety angle but the cars have never been that desirable, or different. Well, the likes of the XC90 and now the S90 have changed all that. BMWs and Audis all look the same – why not drive something more memorable?

After five days in the S90, I’ve realised people aren’t staring at me – they are looking at the car. It’s very pretty indeed, although the rear-end does not hold quite the same appeal.

It may not have quite the driving thrills of a German car but there is something resfreshingly different about this Volvo. It feels light and airy inside. Everything about it is cool, calm and collected.

Slotting the 400bhp Twin Engine hybrid unit in later this year could be the making of a great saloon….