V90 CROSS COUNTRY
Not-so-common crossover
Can Volvo make lightning strike twice? Or is it thrice? Maybe more? It does get a little murky as the Swedish automaker “officially” celebrates the 20 years it has offered all-wheel drive. First it was in its legendary station wagons — starting with a small batch of 1997 850 AWD models produced for winter-climate markets, including Canada — and then sedans and sport utes.
The company might think differently, but by my reckoning, the initial strike was the launch of a new variant of the V70 wagon, which had replaced the 850. Called the Volvo XC — which stood for Cross Country — the 1998 model took a page out of Subaru’s playbook, the one that transformed the Legacy wagon into the Outback. Muscled up with an increased ride height and outdoorsy styling cues, the XC proved a successful alternative to the traditional sport ute.
Subsequently, Volvo co-opted the XC name for its SUVs and crossovers (XC60 and XC90), while the Cross Country appellation is now used for the more macho versions of its wagons and sedans (V60 Cross Country, S60 CC and now the brand-new V90 CC).
A substantial measure of the original XC’s success was because Volvo didn’t have a sport ute at the time. That changed in 2002 with the popular XC90.
So, having just launched the midsize S90 sedan and the V90 wagon, Volvo is rounding out the product lineup with the V90 Cross Country. Thus, the $61,900 question (the CC’s base price): Will it put a dent in the premium crossover segment? Is there enough of a customer base that wants all-season traction, comfort, roominess and looks, just not in a traditional SUV/crossover model? And is the more adventuresome look worth the extra $2,000 above the price of the V90 wagon?
“The V90 Cross Country takes the elegance of the V90 and transforms it into an all-road car that delivers safety, comfort and performance in a capable and adventurous package,” says Hakan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Car Group.
I don’t know if plying the oftenicy roads leading to Copperhill Mountain Lodge near Are — more than 600 kilometres northwest of Stockholm — counts as adventurous, but nothing else Samuelsson said should be disputed. Especially Volvo’s renowned safety bona fides which, along with the added grip provided by the V90 Cross Country’s all-wheel drive system and the use of studded winter tires, made for a stress-free drive.
The wagon wafted serenely along lightly travelled back roads through rustic villages and on to the highway, as fine a transport as one could wish for on a chilly yet dry afternoon run to the slopes. The final few kilometres were on a seriously bumpy stretch of snowcovered pavement that tested the limits of the V90’s double-wishbone front suspension, and found it was more than up to the task.
Even a session of ice driving on a frozen lake showed excellent grip followed by gentle oversteer, and this was with the stability controls off. With the nannies fully engaged, any untoward directional change was quickly reined in.
Not including the XC90, Volvo Canada is counting on the CC to have the most national presence among the 90-series lineup. I don’t know if that is faint praise or supreme confidence; the XC90 is attractive for a sport ute and is anchoring the company’s resurgence in our country. That said, the five-passenger V90 wagon — long, lean and aerodynamic — is stunning and the Cross Country version, with its wheel arch extensions, dark lower body parts, lower side moulding, larger door mirrors and rear skid plate, is right on its bumper.
As with both the S90 sedan and V90 wagon, the CC will be available in Canada with the T6 engine variant, a 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged four cylinder, pumping out a robust 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque at 2,200 rpm. In Canada, the wagons will be offered exclusively with an eight-speed Geartronic automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
This seems a well-engineered power plant, running smoothly whether loafing in city traffic or hustling along at highway speeds. Volvo claims the 1,838-kg wagon will accelerate to 100 km/h in a fairly zippy 6.3 seconds, and achieve a combined fuel economy rating of 9.4 L/100 km. Being some 130 kg lighter than the seven-seat XC90 crossover, the Cross Country is, naturally, a little quicker.
Typical of Volvo, the cabin is the Cross Country’s best feature, a Scandinavian blend of natural materials and the latest technologies, such as the Sensus user interface. The front and rear seats are supportive in all the right spots, which, combined with the amount of headroom and legroom, makes long-distance travel a breeze.
At the V90 CC’s debut several months ago, I was struck by a comment made by Henrik Green, senior vice-president of research and development at Volvo. He said, “Volvo cars are well known for what we call framkomlighet in Swedish — the ability to get you wherever you want to go — regardless of the weather conditions. This is an important part of our heritage and a clear reflection of who we are and where we come from.”
As family transportation goes, the V90 Cross Country ticks the boxes on a lot of fronts. It will framkomlighet with the best premium crossovers while not being as common.