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I once was the father in the Volvo TV commercial, doing the Saturday rush thing.

I’d drop my son at the soccer field, whisk my youngest daughter to a dance rehearsal and deliver her older sister to piano lessons.

But, unlike the ad dad, my timing was off. I’d often miss something on the field or dance floor, and I usually left my eldest daughter waiting — offenses met by pubescent vituperation or the practiced, icy silence of an aging teenager approaching womanhood.

And so it was pleasant on this Saturday, years removed from my duties as weekend taxi driver, not to have to worry about any of that. I had the 2001 Volvo V70 T5 station wagon to myself. The weather was pristine. The road was clear west of the urban stretches of Virginia’s Interstate 66. The Shenandoah Valley beckoned.

It is to Volvo’s credit that the company has created a family hauler that also can be enjoyed as a sports car. The V70 T5 is exceptionally maneuverable. It is fast, zero to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds with the standard — for the U.S. — electronically controlled, five-speed automatic transmission.

For buyers who prefer shifting, the T5 can be ordered with Volvo’s Geartronic automatic, which also can be operated manually.

Understandably, this business of speed and performance might be objectionable to traditional Volvo buyers, who have long bought the brand for reasons of safety and practicality.

But the company began reaching beyond that core utilitarian market years ago. It had no choice. Sales were falling. Reverse snobbery has its appeal, but Volvo, now owned by Ford Motor Co., yielded to the indisputable reality that sex sells.

Still, the company describes its new V70 as “probably the safest wagon on the road today.” Judging from a week’s drive in the automobile, there is every reason to believe that statement is more truth than boast.

For one thing, the T5 is very comfortable, and comfort, for me, is the first rule of safety. An uncomfortable driver’s seat induces fatigue, which can lead to a crash. You might survive in your super-safe Volvo, but you could wind up killing someone else.

In its new V70 wagons — the high-performance T5 turbo, the light-pressure 2.4-liter turbo and a direct-injection turbo-diesel model — Volvo has eliminated the comfort problem from the get-go. The orthopedically designed seats, front and rear, hug and protect occupants.

The driver’s seat is one of the best in any car, regardless of price. It is an eight-way, power-operated throne that provides an excellent driving position as well as protection from whiplash injury.

The rear seats, equipped with head restraints and made with safety belts integrated into the backrest, can be locked into two positions, either upright or slightly reclining.

Seen another way, the new V70 series is perfect for worriers. Concerned about air pollution in the pass enger cabin? The T5 comes with technology that purifies the air entering the car from the outside. All materials used inside the car are certified free of hazardous or toxic substances.

Worried about air bags? Volvo offers a possible solution for that, too. The V70 comes with dual-stage front air bags that deploy slowly in low-speed crashes and faster in higher-speed collisions. There are also inflatable curtains that deploy from the roof area to protect heads in side-impact crashes.

Volvo, like all other automakers, recommends that air bags be used in conjunction with seat belts. In the V70 wagons, those belts are equipped with pyrotechnic pre-tensioners to eliminate slack.

But on this Saturday, I wasn’t thinking about any of that safety or environmental equipment. I just wanted to drive and enjoy the car, unbounded by the clock, free of the need to pick anyone up or drop anyone off. It was sweet pleasure. I felt I earned it.

Nuts & B olts Complaints: None.

Praise: Enough said.

Head-turning quotient: The front-drive T5 is far sleeker and prettier than any previous Volvo wagon. But it’s still a wagon. Neither the police nor the ladies paid me much attention. The car said “Dad.”

Ride, acceleration and handling: Triple aces. Brakes include power four-wheel discs with standard antilocks.

T5 engine: A turbocharged, 20-valve, 2.3-liter five-cylinder job that develops 247 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 243 pound-feet of torque between 2,400 and 5,000 rpm.

Capacities: Seats five. Carries 37.5 cubic feet of cargo. Fuel capacity is 21.1 gallons; premium unleaded gasoline is recommended.

Mileage: About 25 miles per gallon in mostly highway driving.

Price: Base price is $33,400. Dealer’s invoice price on base model is $31,396. Price as tested is $38,975, including $5,000 in options (leather seats, sunroof, navigational system) and a $575 destination charge.

Purse-strings note: Compare with Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E320, Saab 9-5 and BMW 528iT wagons.