The Volvo XC90 removes your socks, trousers and shirt and after a few hours of driving will come back and take your underwear

The Volvo XC90 removes your socks, trousers and shirt and after a few hours of driving will come back and take your underwear.

It's more practical than a 75pc sale at IKEA, and with its sleek new lines and Thor's Hammer headlights, looks sexier than a Swedish supermodel.

So, as you've probably already guessed - I seriously like this car.

Now in its second generation, the Volvo XC90 is able to provide seating for seven full-sized adults and sets new standards for safety, luxury and interior design.

Even with bums in all those super-comfortable seats, you can still manage to fit your weekly grocery shop or a baby buggy in the boot.

Fold the third row flat and luggage space will seriously embarrass many estate cars.

Believe it or not, there are just eight buttons on the dashboard. Most of the functions are controlled by the large central touchscreen which is easy to use and incredibly intuitive.

As you can swipe the screen from side to side to reveal more options, it actually feels more like using an iPad than a car touchscreen system.

Impressive digital instruments add to that modern feel, while the leather-trimmed dash top, brushed aluminium inserts and excellent interior plastics emphasise the XC90's truly luxurious interior.

The car was a little unsettled over some of Dublin's rougher city streets, but on bigger roads it quite simply glides with minimum road, wind or engine noise getting into the cabin.

There is some slight body roll if you take corners quickly but overall handing is excellent for such a big vehicle.

My D5 4x4 model had the 225bhp 2.0 diesel unit which never felt under-powered and was surprisingly efficient.

As you would expect from Volvo, the XC90 is one of the safest cars on the market today.

Unlike many other seven-seaters, it has window airbags that protect those in all three rows of seats. Plus, it comes with the latest version of Volvo’s City Safety system, which can automatically hit the brakes if the car in front comes to a sudden stop, or a pedestrian steps out onto the road in front of you.

With the most basic XC90 starting at €64,950, this Volvo isn't cheap - but this is one of the few times I can honestly say that this car is worth every cent.