Volvo V90 D4 AWD Cross Country
Tested by Nigel Hutson Price £42,520 Kerbweight 1860kg Towing/towball limits 2400kg/130kg IN A NUTSHELL Typical Volvo comfort and performance
THIS CROSS COUNTRY is a far cry from those boxy Volvo estates of the ’70s and ’80s that some of us are old enough to remember. It is a stylish car, but it’s also huge – on the outside. I have the pleasure of making the final report on our longterm car (before it’s swapped for another Volvo, the XC40), following a trip to France where it was driven solo and towing our Bailey Phoenix 640 (left). Fully laden, the Bailey would only have been a 74% match for the Volvo. Lightly laden, as it was, it was no challenge. Shortly after collecting the Volvo, I had to get provisions for the trip and found that it was longer than the typical supermarket car park space. It’s also wide – a mixed blessing. Solo, you notice the size when driving along narrow lanes, but it does mean you get a great view from the towing mirrors with the van attached. I found that the car’s mirrors were a bit obstructive – you sit low, and the mirrors seemed to block an area of vision for me. It was quite easy to lose another vehicle at a roundabout behind them, so a second look was always advisable. Along with quite shallow windows, that meant visibility wasn’t ideal for me. Thankfully, the car’s fitted with all-round parking sensors, as it’s difficult to judge where the corners are at times, thanks to that low driving position. So, what’s the Volvo like out on the road? Again, a bit of a mixed bag. Despite being the ‘lowly’ D4 version, it was never lacking in performance, either solo or towing.
Excellent control
When towing on the motorway, I used the cruise control a lot, but in this case, it was to keep the speed down. When overtaking lorries in France – even with a gentle touch on the accelerator – speed built rapidly and, as the outfit exceeded 3.5t, I was restricted to 90kph. But performance was great. It’s a given that the seats will be comfortable – it is a Volvo. And they are; superbly so. The eight-speed gearbox is generally very smooth, too. The only slight gripe is that in ‘Comfort’ mode (which I used most of the time), there was sometimes a delay between pressing the throttle and actually moving off. Stability-wise, the Volvo is good, but not great. It moved around a fair deal following lorries and when there was a breeze. It was never worrying, but I was always aware of it. Perhaps this is a result of the relatively soft suspension? When cruising, the Volvo is usually very refined, but it’s a shame there can be a lot of tyre roar on some roads, and the four-cylinder engine makes its presence felt when pressing on. Hitching was a doddle. The reversing camera image on the huge centre ‘tablet’ was crystalclear, and I’m a fan of Volvo’s factory-fit folding towbar, with integral electrics socket. Economy-wise, when towing, the Volvo achieved a creditable calculated figure of 30mpg (mainly motorway driving), and (for a big car) an equally good 45mpg solo, which included town and stop/start driving. Overall, I enjoyed my time with the big Volvo, despite its foibles, and was sorry to be parted from it. The final verdict is that this is one tow car we’re probably all going to miss.