Ok, so 4x4’s can be really annoying. My route to work in the morning is blighted by mothers dropping their little miracles at school in huge Chelsea tractors or Range Rovers with elk grids attached to the front. Rural East Sussex looks more like Baghdad about nine in the morning, there is that much heavy metal bashing around. Then there’s the fact they’re about as environmentally friendly as rusting Russian nuclear submarines. All in all, the 4x4 / SUV genre is enough to make the most ardent petrol-head back legislation that forces everyone to drive a Toyota Yaris powered on dolphin farts.

So three cheers for Volvo for coming up with a 4x4 you can’t help but love. The XC90 is a ‘soft roader’ if you like, that incorporates all the best bits - security, ride height and safety, without looking or feeling aggressive and unmanageable. It’s also got the longest legs of anything I remember driving. Half an hour in the driver’s seat and the idea of a three-day, 2000-mile round trip from Brighton to St Andrews looked like a stroke of genius.

And it was. The spectre of having to get a second (or third?) mortgage to pay for the fuel never materialised. Volvo’s 2.5 litre, 5 rail turbo diesel managed around 33mpg even when driven quite hard and fully loaded with clubs and fishing rods. Not bad for a unit that weighs in at about two and a half tons. Although you could argue the XC90 is slightly underpowered - overtaking isn’t quite the doddle you’d expect it to be, it’s obviously been designed for poise rather than out and out performance.

While not giving it a real going over off road, the XC90 is a doddle in less than perfect road conditions. And where I really came to appreciate the ride afforded by the permanent 4-wheel drive and Volvo’s voodoo-like DTSC traction control was on the unclassified B roads in the Scottish Glens. At this time of year they tend to be coated in wet leaves more treacherous than solid ice but not once did the car twitch or spin. It was far more like cruising in a hovercraft than your average SUV.

Inside, there’s a staggering amount of mumble (car journo jargon, apparently, for technical and electronic stuff ) - Sat Nav, Dolby Prologic sound system, parking radar, fridge. And while I’m on the subject, why don’t all cars have fridges? Refrigeration is of course the cornerstone of civilisation and there’s nothing better than enjoying an ice cold drink while driving hundreds of miles, or a having a nice cold beer on the tailgate when you’re slipping out of your spikes at the end of the round.

With seven seats this car is a stylish alternative to the people carrier. There’s ample space for luggage and, best of all, the Rear Seat Entertainment system option that offers DVD, CD, or Playstation to each passenger, including their own individual blue tooth headphones. Expensive, yes, but the kit turns long journeys into first class flights. Indeed, the quality of the interior made one passenger liken it to travelling in a Louis Vuitton handbag.

Despite it’s high specifications the XC90 is a subtle car and one you could really live with on a daily basis. Volvo used to build tanks in the guise of being family vehicles but the flagship XC90 proves that they can compete with just about anyone in terms of luxury and refinement. Just promise me you won’t use it on the school run, OK?

Words Neil Thomson