Volvo’s S60 is the best rendition yet of the “non-box” design theme begun under design director Peter Horbury. It has a surprisingly sleek roofline, a raised center body section that creates definite “shoulders” at the windowsills, exceptionally large taillights, and a low nose. All very modern. All very non-Volvo.

A German maker, or even an American car company, would have taken the opportunity to tweak the formula even more. The nose would be more distinct, perhaps to the point of caricature. The same with the tail. And the body sides would lack the slight Coke bottle sweep that add a subtle character to what might otherwise have been a bland expanse. Doing this would have removed the elemental “Swedishness” that makes the S60 the unique vehicle it is, but it might also have given the car some of the character it seems to lack.

There was an interesting split among those who rode in the car. Some said it felt like the $40,000 car it so nearly was (as-driven price: $33,375). Other thought it to be a high-priced Ford Taurus with little rear seat leg room. Both were right.

The most impressive thing about the S60 is its solidity. Many vehicles have been described as “bank vaults”, but the S60 actually feels this safe and strong – without also feeling overweight, lethargic, or slow. That’s a pretty strong (no pun intended) base on which to build a sport sedan, and Volvo makes a game try of it. Unfortunately, the idea of a “sport sedan” in Sweden must be a little different than it is in other parts of the world. The five-cylinder engine (197 hp, 210 lb.-ft. of torque) has a distinctive “moan” under acceleration, and produces sufficient – but not scintillating – thrust when coupled to the five-speed automatic gearbox. Of note is the fact that this powertrain is transversely mounted and drives all four wheels; there’s not a longitudinal engine driving either the rear wheels or all four as in other European sport sedans. This gives the S60 a unique technical character, better packaging – though back seat travelers might disagree – and more weight over the nose.

That extra weight implies a heavy, sluggish helm, but the S60 has commendably light – but not effortless – steering and decent turn-in and tracking. Unfortunately, under brisk driving conditions it’s apparent that the great god Understeer has the final say in the proceedings. Volvo might want to consider dialing out a good bit of the understeer it has programmed into the rear suspension, and tune the front end more carefully. And, while the engineers are at it, the car will need a rethink of the front-to-rear roll couple and damper valving.

Without these changes, the S60 earns the “Taurus” sobriquet for there is little to distinguish the sporty Swede from more prosaic offerings. (It should be noted, however, that the Taurus would do well to emulate the S60’s current dynamic capabilities.) This is reinforced by the large, unadorned expanses inside the car, about which some commented that Volvo had taken clean, minimalist design to the extreme, removing from the instrument panel in particular all signs of character. A bit harsh, perhaps, but not totally off the mark, though it’s hard to imagine what – other than a material change or different appliqué – might be done to rectify the situation. One area where this minimalism is appreciated is the sound system. There are no station buttons, just a large knob that the user turns to move up or down the dial. Another controls the media selection, whether it be the radio (AM or FM), CD, or cassette player. Very nice.

All-in-all, the S60 proved itself to be a faithful driving companion and solid partner. If you view car ownership like a marriage, this is an alluring combination. However, be prepared to find yourself in a routine long before you expect. It’s like looking for a car that reminds you of the Swedish exchange student that lived with your family when you were a kid, and coming home with a really nice Mercury.