Volvo's 2011 S60 T6 compact car is not cheap, and it's not the first or second car that shoppers think of when looking for a fun-to-drive sedan.

But this five-seater has sleeker styling than any recent Volvos, moves forcefully with zippy turbo engine power, has Volvo's well-known comfortable seats and can be loaded with a raft of safety equipment — some not found on other vehicles.

An example: The S60 with optional technology package includes a world-first pedestrian detection system with full auto brake. It can sense when a pedestrian comes in front of the car and, if the driver does not react, can apply the brakes fully to stop the car.

Cost for the tech package, however, is $2,100 on top of the 2011 S60 T6 AWD's starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $38,575.

The price includes a 300-horsepower, turbocharged, inline, six-cylinder engine, six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive.

Competitors include the better known all-wheel drive, 2011 BMW 328i xDrive sedan with 230-horsepower, naturally aspirated, six-cylinder engine and manual transmission with starting price of $36,525.

Many shoppers today have forgotten about Volvo since the company and its cars were jettisoned by Ford and sold to the Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for $1.8 billion last year. The reason: In the transition, Volvo advertising in the United States has been sparse.

But Geely took pains last year to emphasize Volvo will retain its Swedish headquarters and European manufacturing facilities that include a factory in Belgium where the S60 T6 AWD is built. And there was nothing on the test car with the Geely name or reference to China. Even the window sticker that detailed the largest sources of parts on the car listed Great Britain as the big source of engine parts, Sweden and Germany as the major sources of other car parts and the transmission was from Japan.

The test car also had typical Volvo characteristics, including the diagonal Volvo badging across the grille, impressive Volvo turbo engine and Volvo's “floating” center stack and console area. This area looks like it's scarcely attached to the dashboard because it's styled to flow outward from the dash and into the center console as one single piece. It's a bit overdone, in my view, but it's distinctive, for sure.

And there were so many beeps and lights coming on in the S60 as I drove, I had difficulty differentiating them. There was a sound for going over the lane line, another for coming up too close to the back of another vehicle at a stoplight and there was the rear park sensor for when I was backing up. While I appreciate the safety efforts, there was a sense that this car's sensors might be a bit too sensitive, at least for my driving style.

And no, I never activated the pedestrian detection system.

<B>BASE PRICE: </B>$37,700.<B>AS TESTED:</B> $46,225.TYPE: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger, compact sedan.<B>ENGINE: </B>3-liter, double overhead cam, turbocharged and intercooled, inline six-cylinder.<B>MILEAGE: </B>18 mpg (city), 26 mpg (highway).<B>TOP SPEED:</B> 133 mph.<B>LENGTH:</B> 182.2 inches.<B>WHEELBASE: </B>109.3 inches.<B>CURB WEIGHT:</B> 3,815 pounds.<B>BUILT AT: </B>Belgium.<B>OPTIONS:</B> Multimedia package (includes rear park sensors, voice-activated navigation system with real-time traffic information, Dolby ProLogic II surround sound audio system) $2,700; technology package (includes collision warning with automatic braking, distance alert, lane departure warning and adaptive speed control) $2,100; premium package (includes power glass moonroof, power front passenger seat adjustment and bi-high intensity discharge headlamps) $1,500; climate package (includes headlight washers and wipers, heated front seats, rain-sensing windshield wipers) $800; metallic paint $550.<B>DESTINATION CHARGE:</B> $875.