DOGS, they say, often come to resemble their owners after a while.

A trip to any public park will confirm that there is something to this claim - fat people own fat dogs; miserable people own miserable-looking dogs; and thuggish oiks invariably own something like a Rottweiler or Doberman.

Likewise with cars, certain marques display similar characteristics and traits to those exhibited by the people of the country in which they were produced.

So, for example, German cars tend to be well built and reliable - reflecting its people's efficient, Teutonic nature. Whereas Italian cars have a reputation for being beautiful yet temperamental - an idiosyncrasy also regularly attributed to Italians.

But does this rule stretch as far north as Sweden? Well, if we look at the other products that the country is famous for - i.e. flat-pack furniture, high quality stereo units and meatballs - we start to see a pattern developing.

Take flat-pack furniture, as an example. It's unpretentious, affordable and easy to live with - all of which could also be said about the Volvo S40.

This compact executive saloon offers Audi and Jaguar levels of performance and equipment for high-spec Mondeo money and looks more stylish than ever, with its chiselled appearance. An elongated dome-like roof sweeps away from the S40's angular bonnet, which is a million miles away from the company's boxy, tank-like designs of days gone by.

Grille and badging remain the same on these new generation models, but it is there that any stylistic similarities to the 480s and 240s of the past end. Modern and contemporary touches inside and out afford the S40 the look and air of a much more expensive car.

A focal point of the car's interior is a very Bang and Olufsen-esque centre console, which is only partially attached to the dash via a thin, sculpted piece of brushed aluminium. Minimalism would appear to have been a by-word for the car's designers, as the bulk of the dashboard is clear of buttons and complications.

The instrument dials, too, are a picture of simplicity, simply telling you your speed, how much fuel you have and whether or not you are late for your meeting.

And the stereo. Oh the stereo. Volvo's eight-speaker, six-disc high-performance sound system, as featured on SE models, is superb. It's so good, in fact, that you will often find yourself fiddling with the steering wheel-mounted volume controls trying to make the thing sound stretched and distorted, but your eardrums will give out long before the hi-fi sound quality is lost.

Despite Volvo's company philosophy being "Safety first. Everything else second", they do occasionally tear themselves away from their crumple zones and airbags long enough to knock out a half-decent engine.

The two-litre turbo diesel unit I sampled was a good performer with 136bhp on tap and 235lb/ft of torque available at only 2,000rpm.

Motorway cruising, the executive saloon's natural environment, is as relaxed in the S40 as any similarly priced car and the mid-range torque at the driver's disposal makes overtaking both effortless and a little invigorating.

It isn't all reindeer's milk and honey, however, as the powerplant is as vocal at idle as anything this side of a Massey Ferguson.

Things do quieten down once it has warmed up, but the initial rattlings and protestations from beneath the bonnet are loud, even by diesel standards.

For the most part, the Volvo's power at low revs and nimble steering make it a cinch to manoeuvre around town. Parking can present a few problems, though, with airbag-fattened A and B pillars and prominent rear headrests markedly obscuring rear visibility.

The addition of optional parking sensors can alleviate some of the hassle.

Calling the new S40 safe would, like calling Ferraris fast or Peroduas small, be an understatement. Not only has the company that is here to save us from ourselves included six airbags, EBD, ABS and a Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), but it has also relocated the key away from the driver's soft, fleshy knee so as to avoid any unnecessary injury in the event of an impact. How thoughtful.

It should also be relatively cheap to run in comparison to some of the other cars in this class. A combined fuel economy figure of 50.4mpg, a group 10 insurance banding, 12,000-mile service intervals and 148g/km of emissions will keep day-to-day running costs low, particularly for the company car driver.

But does all this prove the dog/owner, car/country of origin theory? Is the S40 as Swedish as expensive booze and Abba?

Well, like flat-pack furniture it is affordable and unpretentious; its interior styling is as cool and minimalist as any premium stereo unit and, as for meatballs... well, perhaps not, but two out of three ain't bad.

For more information, call Alan Gibson Volvo on 01256 466111.