If I asked someone to describe what makes a Volvo a Volvo, I wonder what their answer would be?

Boxy? Safe? Dull? Perhaps they’d even go as far as to use words of more than a couple of syllables like uninspired, unattractive or underwhelming.

They would be right, of course, if this was the 1990s but a lot has changed at the Swedish firm over the last decade or so.

The new XC90, which launched last year, remains as safe, practical and reliable as any other model that’s rolled off the production line, but it’s finally got the looks to match its ambition.

Look closely and you’ll notice that the Volvo badge is new, with the iconic arrow now lined up with the diagonal slash across the grille while the daylight running lights are meant to resemble Thor’s Hammer. This is the face you’ll be seeing on all new Volvos so it’s just as well it’s a handsome one that lends the XC90 the presence that the outgoing model lacked.

The rear is dominated by the light clusters, which run from the roofline to the top of the bumper. The distinctive broad shoulders remain, leaving you in no doubt that this is a Volvo. A pair of deep creases run across the boot lid – the lower one kinks upwards either side to meet the tail lights – creating a tidy, but instantly recognisable rear.

Despite its SUV status the profile is surprising rakish and subtle creases along its flanks do well to disguise its proportions.

Volvo claim that the interior is the most luxurious they have ever designed. I’m inclined to believe them. The first thing you’ll notice when you climb aboard is the tablet-like touchscreen that dominates the centre console. The next thing you’ll notice is the lack of buttons.

All the systems on board – climate control, Bluetooth, DAB radio and sat nav – are controlled via the touchscreen interface that Volvo calls Sensus. While the portrait orientation might be unusual in a car, it’s reassuringly familiar to a generation of people who have grown up with smarthphones.

I wouldn’t describe the interface as immediately intuitive – I refuse to refer to a user unless my other half’s frustration at my stubbornness boils over into threats of violence – but it doesn’t take too long to become acclimatised.

Sensus also gives access to a wide variety of cloud-based applications including internet radio, finding and paying for parking, connected navigation as well as MirrorLink and CarPlay.

As if that wasn’t enough – yes, there’s more – you can talk to your new XC90 as well. It’s equipped with a voice control system that recognises 300 English phrases. Okay, so it won’t keep you company on those lonely, long hauls across the country but then that’s what the sat nav’s for. Isn’t it?.

The touchscreen is complemented by an all-digital instrument binnacle and a colour head-up display so, if nothing else, technophiles will find plenty to keep them happy.

The cabin is a gloriously well-appointed, comfortable and ultimately satisfying place to play with all that technology at your fingertips. As much as I have my reservations about moving most, if not all the controls, to a touchscreen the lack of buttons – and the full-length panoramic roof – helps create an open, airy, clutter-free passenger space.

You’re surrounded by premium materials. There are no brittle plastics or hard surfaces on show, Instead there’s brushed metal inserts, lots of leather and an obvious attention to detail.

Equipment levels, if you haven’t already guessed, are generous. There’s LED headlights, powered tailgate, 10-speaker 300W audio system and adaptive cruise control as well as a host of safety features that includes a Run Off-Road system that detects if you’ve run off the tarmac and prepares the car for a crash and energy absorbent seats that will reduce the impact of a big smash.

There are, of course, systems to prevent you crashing in the first place – always the best option even in a Volvo – such as an autonomous braking system that stops you turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle and lane keeping assistance which monitors the white lines and will gently turn the wheel to keep the car between them.

Head and legroom is excellent in the first two rows but, while the occasional seats in the boot will accommodate adults, you’d have to have a particularly cruel streak to ask anyone whose hips are no longer their own to try and clamber into them. Taller people will also find space for their long limbs limited in the third row while headroom is reduced too.

Even with the rear seats in place, the boot is a very useful 451 litres. Fold the rear seats away and that rises to 1,102 litres. Still not enough? Stow the middle row away and you’ve got 1,951 litres to play with. The loading lip is low and, with the powered tailgate, all that space is easily accessible.

You won’t find any of the familiar 5-cylinder engines under the bonnets of any new Volvos and the XC90 is no exception. Even the T6 and range-topping T8 make do with four-cylinder power plants. My test car was powered by the D5 two-litre twin-turbo diesel producing 222bhp and, for the most part, it proved to be an amiable companion.

It’s brisk, with 60mph arriving in a very respectable 8.3 seconds, but the gearbox can be a little sluggish to respond to demands if you’re looking for out and out performance. Under normal driving conditions, however, it more than plays its part in providing a relaxing and unruffled ride.

In fact, overall refinement is excellent. Occupants are perfectly insulated from most unwanted and unwelcome aural intrusions although there’s a bit more clatter from the diesel than you’d expect although the noise level itself is within the bounds of acceptability.

Air suspension is an option on the XC90 but my test car arrived with coils at the front and transverse rear springs and even on the standard set-up it strikes a good balance between ride and handling. Body control is top notch while the damping has a progressive, composed edge to it.

It means that the XC90 is almost as at home tackling narrow country lanes as it is on wide open highways.

Safety and reliability. Two things that you’ve always been able to count on Volvo for. There’s more, much more, to their armoury now and the XC90 is the perfect demonstration of this. It’s agile, efficient, good-looking, spacious and luxurious. It’s also packed with technology. I’d normally shun the idea of replacing (nearly) all the physical buttons with a touchscreen, I don’t believe that it’s always better but, on this occasion, I’d be willing to make that sacrifice.

Volvo XC90 D5 Momentum

Prices: from £45,750

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Max power: 221bhp

Max torque: 347lbft

Max speed: 137mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 7.8sec

Combined: 49.6mpg

Emissions (C02): 149g/km

For more information visit www.volvocars.co.uk