Volvo’s Cross Country returns with a vengeance

March 15, 2017

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The last time Volvo had a new cross country wagon in its product portfolio was in the year 2000. It was the Volvo XC70 and it offered an interesting mixture of comfort and ruggedness, something that this latest generation vehicle will continue to do. The previous Cross Country was based on the same modular P2X platform as the S80 luxury sedan.

Under its front bonnet was a 2.4-litre engine which was carried over from the previous generation Volvo V70 which produced a respectable 200bhp. Its 0-100km/h dash was an impressive 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 225km/h could be achieved. Today this rare and sensible 4×4 Volvo wagon is still on the wish list of many Malaysians and sellers are few.

Now comes a brand new Volvo Cross Country. We fly to the very cold and wintery Swedish northern country to test drive the latest Cross Country on ICE and on slippery snowing roads.

Volvo Cars’ Cross Country models fulfil an increasingly important part of the Swedish automaker’s product portfolio as luxury car buyers seek out a more experienced-based lifestyle that occasionally takes them off the beaten track.

With some of the harshest winters on the planet and over 77% of the country covered in forest and lakes, Sweden is the natural place to develop and test extreme durability and all-weather capable cars. This hard-won expertise represents a large part of Volvo Cars’ heritage, reflected in the company’s Cross Country model line-up.

With Volvo Cars’ Scalable Product Architecture providing the underpinnings, the V90 Cross Country has undergone rigorous testing to ensure that it can survive the extremes in which it will ultimately find itself. From secret testing facilities in the frozen north of Sweden, where temperatures regularly hit -40 degrees centigrade to the searing desert heat of Arizona, where Volvo Cars performs its high temperature testing program, the V90 Cross Country has been built to last.

With a design that clearly stands out from the crowd, the V90 Cross Country’s rugged character belies a sumptuous interior that delivers a level of luxury uncommon in the segment, combining all the benefits of the connectivity and entertainment features that were launched with the new S90 and V90, including a high- end sound system by Bowers & Wilkins.

The V90 Cross Country’s exterior design cues communicate the powerful and dynamic capability that the car exemplifies, while offering the flexibility to choose from both rugged and elegant expressions. Hill descent control, all-wheel drive and increased ground clearance keep you moving even in deep snowing conditions. You can adapt your drive to your demands by selecting the drive mode that’s right for the conditions presented – Comfort, Eco, Dynamic, Off-Road or Individual. With Individual Mode you can create a mode that’s tailor-made for your particular driving condition.

The new V90 Cross Country takes this well-established segment to a new level of comfort-inspired capability. Production of the car is set to start this autumn at Volvo Cars Torslanda Plant in Sweden.

After 2 days with this latest Volvo in the harshest of road conditions in Sweden we looked at this V90 Cross Country as an exceptionally handsome station wagon with a great off-road ability that will probably never be appreciated by Malaysian drivers as they will only run this luxury wagon on the highway and city roads with the possible curb climbing when looking for a parking on pasar malam nights.