VOLVO’S S60 A BRAG-WORTHY, COMFORTABLE CROSSOVER
Carmaker curiously quiet about marketing sedan-style sporty ride
It’s been tried before: a sedan with an all-wheel drivetrain, increased ride height and a hardier look. The results have been less than inspiring. Those with long memories will recall the 1980-87 American Motors Eagle sedan, a less successful offshoot of the Eagle wagon, itself derived from the conventional Concord model.
More recently, for a few years in the early 2000s, Subaru gave consumers the choice of Outback in both wagon (very popular) and sedan (not so much) body styles.
And now Volvo. At the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the automaker announced it was taking a shot at an off-road sedan with the new S60 Cross Country, calling it “the first premium sedan with the same level of capability and rugged design cues” of the Cross Country wagons.
“We want to further explore the market with our Cross Country brand. We did this back in 1997 with the V70 Cross Country and it led to the birth of a whole new segment,” said Lex Kerssemakers, president of Volvo Car USA.
“We have included all the capability-driven benefits of the Cross Country brand in (the S60 Cross Country), while offering a completely unique expression of adventure and all-road readiness in a distinctly sporty and stylish package.”
But since the reveal of North American-bound 2016 models in topline Platinum trim and powered by Volvo’s 250-horsepower, five-cylinder engine, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, the company has been very circumspect regarding the “bold step forward” that is the S60 Cross Country.
Yes, it has been available at dealerships for about a year; it’s just that there’s been little if any marketing done on it, the result being kind of a surprise that it exists.
Here in Vail, Colo., people know about snow, adventure and allroad readiness. They also know all-wheel-drive vehicles.
Subarus abound, naturally, along with just about every other kind of sport ute, crossover and car, which makes it fertile ground for Volvo and its line of AWD vehicles, including a certain sturdy, premiumpriced, jacked-up compact sedan.
About the S60 Cross Country’s aforementioned sporty and stylish package: Starting with the S60 sedan, Volvo designers added styling cues and a higher stance, similar to that of the V60 Cross Country.
Along with the 200 millimetres of ground clearance, the car is dressed up with a honeycomb grille and lower skid plates front and rear.
The side is accented with scuff plates while black fender extensions frame unique 18-inch alloy wheels. Glossy black window trim and outside mirror covers provide the finishing touch.
It’s all very subtle. With the exception of the increased ride height (65 mm), only the most observant will discern any real difference between the Cross Country and a regular S60.
More important, though, are the mechanical changes to the car for 2017, with the S60 CC — like the rest of the 60-series T5 models — getting a powertrain swap.
Gone is last year’s turbo fivecylinder and six-speed Geartronic transmission.
In its place, a 240-hp 2.0-L turbo four mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
It might be a little lethargic off the line, but once going the new DriveE engine is a gem, smooth and efficient, delivering reserves of power when needed.
The turbo 2.0 L offers up 258 pound-feet of torque at just 1,500 rpm, which came in handy as we rolled along the twisting roads through the San Isabel National Forest to the sky-high (elevation 3,109 m) town of Leadville.
The previous day’s drive from Denver to Vail along busy Highway 70 — through ever-changing weather conditions including fog, rain and sun, not to mention construction and traffic — had already put the S60 CC in a very positive light.
The car feels solid, with a superb steering feel and excellent communication with the road. It’s quiet and exceedingly comfortable as well, thanks to Volvo’s renowned seat expertise, though front-seat passengers fare better than back-seat occupants; legroom in the rear is at a premium for the long and leggy.
The cabin as a whole is a case of form following function, the S60 Cross Country, like all of its 60-series sibs, focusing on clean and uncluttered rather than total luxury.
There is premium content, though, with a full range of modern conveniences. The car comes with Volvo’s Sensus system, which manages information from the audio unit, navigation and other functions, displaying them on a seveninch colour LCD monitor at the top of the centre console.
The controls on the centre stack — the ones activating the navigation, radio, media, camera and HVAC — are a bit of a muddle, being too close together and requiring the driver’s vision to be diverted from the road ahead.
Carried over with minimal changes from the 2016 model is Volvo’s electronically controlled Haldex all-wheel-drive system with “instant traction.”
As with the better AWD systems out there, it delivers power to the wheels with the best grip.
When a tire loses traction, power is reduced to that wheel and instantly transferred to the one(s) with more grip. Standard hill-descent control uses the brakes and engine torque to crawl in bottom gear on steep downhill slopes.
Ultimately, the S60 Cross Country is defined by its uniqueness. Clearly, the overwhelming popularity of crossovers relegate it to curiosity status.
So, too, does the lack of marketing.
Yet for those wanting the ruggedness and four-season traction abilities of a crossover in a sedan body style, the S60 CC is in a class of one.
Not really a sport sedan though certainly sporty, not truly luxurious though upscale, it wears its individuality well.
Pricing for the 2017 model starts at $50,700.