Safety + Traction + Sex Appeal = S60 AWD SE

I find this car strangely sexy. No, it's not downright voluptuous,

Modern architecture is far more boxy than the Volvo. (Photo: Kogodos, Canadian Auto Press)

and there's no visceral reaction to the engine note, and I can't objectively claim it makes a sensuous connection to the road, but there is something so smart, so reserved and so hair-up-in-a-bun that just makes me think... I can't tell you exactly what it makes me think, but they're all nice thoughts. In fact, I'm smiling right now.

I hope that you take the time to view the photographs in the gallery for this one, as I roped in a photographer friend of mine to take the photos and do this all-black S60 (can you seriously tell me that all black isn't sexy?) in front of a similarly alluring example of modern architecture. Everybody take the time to appreciate.

Long, sleek, chiseled shoulders and lines flowing gracefully into a hard-cut trunk make me say mmhmm. I don't think there's anything I can say that wouldn't have the pictures shame my retreating words into a dyslexic pile of debris at the side of the page, but I would ask you to direct your attention to the rims: sweet! Slightly industrial, yet elegant and so smooth, they take this car up one sizeable notch, beyond simple professorial desirability to something like a Robert Langdon of cars.

Are

The S80 was the first Volvo with the now famous 'Coke bottle' profile, but the S60 is the one that made it popular. (Photo: Kogodos, Canadian Auto Press)

you back from the photo gallery yet? Wasn't that nice? Beyond looking good, this Volvo also displayed its charms out on the open road, particularly on the highway, where the only risk is feeling too secure or too comfortable. I almost wouldn't recommend it for long, solo trips because I couldn't imagine a more comfortable place in which to curl up for a nap. The big, black leather seats are wide and soft, with just a touch of side bolstering to wrap you up and keep you firmly in place. Wow, I'm getting a little sleepy and lazy just thinking about slouching back in one of those seats with their perfect balance between support and cushiness.

The rest of the interior is, you guessed it, black. Some people mentioned that it was a touch austere, or perhaps the term was 'Germanic,' but this is one sedan interior that passed the "I wanna' rub every surface with my cheeks" test that I developed after long research in The Bay's scarf department. Dash is soft-touch plastic, buttons are secure and purposeful and where there isn't leather, there is something that feels nice.

One of the things that kept running through my head all week was: "This car definitely feels like it is worth fifty thousand dollars," something that a surprising number of competitors fall short of.

Though I hate to disparage a car I felt so comfortable in, it had its

Door trim is padded - an unusual but cushy addition to the S60. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

soft spots in certain places that a bit of toned muscle would have done better. It's hard to say that a car with over 200 horsepower (208 to be exact) felt lacking, especially when you consider its 236 lb-ft of torque, but with all that leather, its crumple zones and reinforced steel, plus all-wheel drive, it felt a little sluggish, even at everyday cruising speeds. It had the advantage of a manual mode (Geartronic) with its 5-speed automatic, for which I was grateful as it took the guesswork out of tentative passing maneuvers on the highway, and made up for the difficulty it encountered when trying to put on speed quickly.