Not to mention one capable of 6.0 litres per 100km - yet still offering a muscular 400Nm of torque (the D5 offered 420Nm/6.9 litres).
Sporty it's not, but The D3's diesel engine gels nicely with the six-speed automatic gearbox, and the car rides well because it's on sensibly sized 17-inch wheels.
The V60 cabin remains a thing of extremely high quality and elegant simplicity, and still comes as standard with trinkets such as power driver's seat adjustment and a multimedia system with seven-inch screen.
City Safety - the clever-clogs system that can automatically prevent a nose-to-tail collision at up to 15km/h - is standard on all V60 models. However, other tricky safety stuff like adaptive cruise control and Blind Spot Information System remain optional, as they are on pricier V60 models, because cutting-edge safety features aren't essential to the Volvo experience these days. Just as cargo space isn't essential to the Volvo estate experience these days. The V60's load area of 557 litres is by no means capacious by class standards, but the car's low roofline and coupe-like rear are the last word in sporting style. How things have changed.
Horbury, by the way, has been promoted to head of Geely group design so now he's in charge of styling not just Volvo but also the Chinese maker's forthcoming models.
Obviously, Geely would be mad to mess with the style and quality for which Volvo is now known. Rather, it's likely that the Volvo/Horbury connection will lead to something even more shocking: the inspiration for a stylish and thoroughly contemporary range of Geely cars that will appeal to international markets.