SPY PICS: New Volvo V60 almost ready

No guessing where these spy photos of Volvo's next-generation V60 wagon going through its paces came from.

Yes, they were snapped, despite some half-hearted attempts by the car's driver to conceal it, in the northern parts of Sweden in the depths of winter.

The disguise cladding actually does a pretty good job of concealing the mid-size V60's details without assistance.

Even the general shape is a bit of a mystery, compliments of some very creative quilting on the bonnet, the guards and the rear end. Not so ingeniously, a hopefully-distracting Opel symbol has been sketched onto the tailgate glass as well.

However, none of that prevents speculation as to the V60's shape: The prediction is that, despite being built on Volvo's new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform and that it may get revised wheelbase and track dimensions - with possible improvements to passenger and cargo space - the next-gen V60 will be clearly identifiable as a Volvo.

Consistent with the company's statement that all its future models will feature some degree of electrification, it's a given that the V60 will use hybrid drivetrains.

And, as the left front panel - about the only part not swathed in cladding - shows evidence of a charging port, the V60 will undoubtedly feature plug-in capability too.

Inside, word is that the next-gen V60's dashboard will follow the pattern already established in the bigger 90 series Volvos, including a portrait orientation for the central touch-screen.

With the plans for electrification, it's not clear what the V60's powertrains will comprise - although four-cylinder diesel and petrol, as well as a petrol three-cylinder engine, have been mooted. Front-drive and all-wheel drive are also expected to figure.

The new Volvo V60 will most likely be unveiled in Europe alongside the new S60 sedan - which has not so far been spotted undergoing testing - later this year.