Last year I was lucky enough to spend a week driving around in the S60 with Volvo’s excellent D4 diesel engine under the bonnet. and, if I’m honest, I was a bit smitten. It was powerful, flexible, economical and comfortable. It was also pretty good fun to drive. Okay, it didn’t excel in any one area, but it rolled everything up into one compelling package.

This week I’ve been behind the wheel of the V60 D6 - one of the better-looking estate cars in my opinion - but, apart from the body style, there is one very fundamental difference between the two cars: The D6 is a hybrid.

The diesel hybrid should be, on the face of it, a match made in heaven and, for the most part, it is. The muscular 212bhp 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel engine, already established in the range, is paired with a rear-axle mounted 69bhp electric motor. What you end up with is three cars in one: A zero emissions city runabout; a diesel-electric hybrid motorway cruiser; and a sports estate.

Volvo have achieved this by providing you with three driving modes to choose from, Pure, Hybrid and Power, selectable via three switches on the centre console. Pure will allow you to travel about 31 miles on a fully charged battery emitting absolutely no carbon. In Hybrid mode the diesel engine and electric motor are used intelligently to give you a balanced, eco-friendly drive returning up to 155mpg with emissions as low as 48g/km. If you’re feeling a bit rebellious simply press the Power button and the 212bhp engine joins forces with the 69bhp motor to propel you to 62mph in just 6.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 143mph.

The driver can also opt to save the battery until later in the journey by activating the appropriately named Save mode.

An energy recovery system harvests energy under braking or while coasting to top up the battery but, unless you’re in Save mode, you’re always using it quicker than you can recoup it.

There’s also a selectable all-wheel drive mode which, it is claimed, is more economical than a permanent mechanical system as it's only active when the driver needs assistance on loose or slippery surfaces.

The ride is comfortable and well-insulated. Despite the sporting intent the suspension errs towards the soft side making the car a fine companion for long hauls but, with numb steering and the extra 300kg the battery and accompanying electric motor piles on, it lacks the poise and agility to tackle tight twists and turns with any real competence.

Still, if you’re expectations are appropriately tempered, then the D6’s abilities do a fine job of compensating for its deficiencies.

When you set off the default mode is Hybrid but if, like a significant majority of the population, apparently, you live within commutable range of the D6’s batteries, you can switch to Pure and enjoy the tranquil, calm of silent running amid the chaotic hullabaloo that is the rush hour. It’s a remarkably serene way to travel and is preferable in every way to the thrumming of the diesel engine.

Even in Hybrid mode it’s not difficult to keep the combustion engine quiet with a conservative right foot thanks to a clever roving gauge that indicates exactly at which point the diesel will kick in. When combustion does take over from electricity the transition is smooth and, apart from the engine noise, the only clue you’ll get that you're not using battery power is a little icon being illuminated.

With the exception of a few extra buttons that allow you to control the power delivery modes the layout of the fascia is typical Volvo with its trademark floating centre console. I couldn’t fault the driving position and the electrically adjustable - and heated - leather seats were very supportive. Head and legroom in the front and back was pretty good too. Fit and finish is first class - as it should be in a car that costs in excess of £50,000 - and the materials are pleasing both to the eye and the touch.

All the safety features you’d expect are present and correct, from blind spot indicators to pedestrian recognition to automatic braking. The collision warning alert can be a bit fickle, the bright red light recessed in the dashboard at the base of the windscreen flashing furiously and the alarm angrily alarming you to the possibility that you might crash, even if there isn’t actually anything to crash into unless you suddenly swerve into the oncoming traffic. I suppose it’s better to be wrong and not crash, than the other way around, but it would be better still if it simply worked the way it's supposed to, all the time.

Should you want to invest what, let’s face it, is a lot of cash in the D6 you will have to make a couple of sacrifices. Because the battery pack is sited under the rear seats the boot only offers 305 litres of space for your luggage. To put that into perspective for you, the Skoda Fabia supermini can swallow 330 litres. The fuel tank is also substantially smaller than on a standard V60, reduced from 70 - 45 litres but, if you’ve got a judicious right foot and can get anywhere near the claimed 155mpg - the nearest I got was around the 60-mark on a steady 70mph run - then that should be of little importance.

As good as I think the S60/V60 is - and in D4 trim I thought the S60 was excellent - this D6 Hybrid is a very different proposition. To make it an effective choice you’ll probably need to charge it overnight and you’d be sacrificing a substantial amount of luggage space. It’s also expensive, even with the government’s £5,000 plug-in grant, but the D6 is not at the high end of the market by accident and at this price point competition is scarce. Given the choice I’d probably stick with the D4 but, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint but still have some fun while you do, the Volvo D6 Hybrid could be just the car you’re looking for.

Volvo D6 Hybrid

PRICE: £49,975*

AS TESTED: £52,375*

ENGINE: 2.4-litre 5-cylinder turbodiesel

BATTERY: 8kwh

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic

POWER: 281bhp

MAXIMUM SPEED: 143mph (Hybrid mode)

77mph (Pure mode)

ACCELERATION (0-62mph): 6.1sec (Power mode)

7.9sec (Hybrid/Pure mode)

ECONOMY: 155mpg

EMISSIONS (CO2): 48g/km

*Excludes government plug-in car grant.

For more information about Volvo cars click here.