V90 CC: On-road luxury, off-road look
that’s available when called upon, but it’s true: It’s powered by a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making a very respectable 316 horsepower and 295 pounds-feet of torque. Power is routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission driving a permanent all-wheel-drive system.
The V90 CC handles like the big car it is. Steering feel is heavily boosted, so driving it is a relaxed experience, not something you could call athletic – even when you pop the drive mode selector into Sport mode. Ride quality is fair; the optional 20-inch wheels and tires on my test vehicle were fine on calm stretches of highway, but they fared worse on broken urban surfaces, like the downtown streets of Chicago. The turning circle is also rather wide. As an urban vehicle, the Volvo V90 CC is a bit too big. As a suburban family shuttlecraft, it fits perfectly into its environment.
Fuel economy can only be called fair. The EPA rates it 20/30/24 mpg city/ highway/combined. My week with the wagon returned an overall 23.5 mpg despite a lot of highway driving, which is not an especially good result. It is better than any of its competitors, however, with the Audi A6 Allroad rated 20/26/22 mpg and the Jaguar XF Sportbrake’s standard four-cylinder turbo engine coming in at 21/28/24 mpg.
Of course, the point of a big luxury wagon is the copious amount of space it brings to the party. And here the V90 CC excels. The front seats are spacious, multi-adjustable and covered in fine quality leather. The view out is acceptable, but the beltline is high, so if you drive with your left arm up on the windowsill you’re not going to be all that comfortable.
The rear seats are also spacious, with plenty of legroom and width that allows for decent three-across seating. Unlike other big SUVs, like the related XC90, there is no third row of seats, so if you’re looking for six- or seven-passenger utility, a crossover SUV would be a better choice.
Volvo’s novel vertically oriented multimedia screen, so unique when it debuted just a few short years ago, has been copied to varying degrees by other automakers recently, but I still think Volvo does it best. It has excellent readability and is quicker than it used to be. Its ability to be reconfigured is highly useful and it has some interesting controls, such as the ability to touch a button and drop the backseat headrests for better rearward visibility. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, of course, and the Volvo-native Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system offers a lot of customization for your listening pleasure.
The V90 has a massive complement of active and passive safety equipment, such as standard blind spot warning with steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control with pilot assist, forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking, road sign information, lane keep and lane departure warning, special headrest designs to prevent whiplash in a rear-end collision and more.
The starting price for the V90 T6 AWD Cross Country is $55,545 (including destination fee), and as-tested it came to $65,265 thanks to the addition of the Advanced Package, B&W premium audio, a rear air suspension, 20-inch wheels, and a few other odds and ends. That undercuts any of the competing premium wagons by more than $10,000 on base price, with a loaded V90 CC coming in where the Mercedes-Benz E450, Jaguar XF Sportbrake and Audi A6 Allroad just get started. Yes, it’s pricier than the $40,000 and change you’d spend on a loaded Subaru Outback, but perhaps the Volvo can be considered an aspirational step up from the Subie once you’ve made it big. It’s definitely worth considering.