Friday 16th September 2016

Volvo V90 Cross Country

Outdoorsy type but don't fancy a trendy crossover? Volvo has just the car

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Before every person realised they needed an SUV, Volvo launched the original V70 XC. It was first seen at the 1997 Frankfurt show in fact, making it 20 years old very soon. Fortunately, despite the ongoing obsession with crossovers, SAVs and SACs, Volvo still sees the jacked-up large estate as a viable production prospect. Good.

Most Volvo press shot ever

This new V90 Cross Country joins the S saloon, V estate and XC 4x4 in the Volvo '90' range, the fourth and final addition. Volvo describes it as a car with the "elegance" of the V90 wagon but one that also delivers "safety, comfort and performance in a capable and adventurous package." And where better to develop an all-season car than Sweden? Somewhere hot? It's been testing in Arizona as well.

Over the standard V90, all Cross Country models will receive all-wheel drive, the raised ride height and "a chassis optimised for comfort and control in all weather and road conditions." Beyond the obvious alterations though, the Cross Country is as per the saloon and estate - same (very lovely) interior, same levels of equipment and - though they aren't confirmed yet - most likely the same engines too.

Production of the V90 Cross Country begins later this year, when UK prices are also expected. First deliveries are due in Q1 2017; the perfect thing to stand out at school amongst the SUVs.

[rastapasta]

I would be very interested to see how this would match up against a Subaru Outback

[Dave Hedgehog]

rastapasta said:

I would be very interested to see how this would match up against a Subaru Outback

in the same way a bentley would against a vauxhall

[IanCress]

Can't imagine Volvo selling many of these. Surely buyers want either an Estate car or an SUV, can't see the point of this half and half model.

Trying to think of rivals. The Outback being the obvious one, I'm not sure if Audi still make the A6 based All-Road.

[cowboyengineer]

Both a4 and a6

[anonymous-user]

I disliked the previous faux 4x4 XC70 but a slightly raised ride height and higher profile tyres makes sense for the stty roads and speed ramps I have to deal with every day. Without the cladding this is actually a sensible option over a V90.

[VF7]

IanCress said:

Can't imagine Volvo selling many of these. Surely buyers want either an Estate car or an SUV, can't see the point of this half and half model.

Trying to think of rivals. The Outback being the obvious one, I'm not sure if Audi still make the A6 based All-Road.

It is a niche market for sure! But the XC70 and the Allroad are hugely popular here in Switzerland. They do make sense for a lot of people who just don't want a huge SUV (not that the XC90 would be small, mind) but are thankful for a good 4x4, some more ground clearance and some plastic bits that make it look more credible in the countryside (goes better with your Barbour jacket than an all blingy shiny paintwork and colour coded door sills).
IIRC bothe the Volvo and the Audi only came with the bigger engines and well equipped, so where more expensive and a bit of a statement for that matter.
I only see the Audi Allroad as a rival. As someone else has stated, the Volvo is a few steps above the Outback, just look at that interior!!

I like it a lot!!

[rastapasta]

VF7 said:

IanCress said:

Can't imagine Volvo selling many of these. Surely buyers want either an Estate car or an SUV, can't see the point of this half and half model.

Trying to think of rivals. The Outback being the obvious one, I'm not sure if Audi still make the A6 based All-Road.

It is a niche market for sure! But the XC70 and the Allroad are hugely popular here in Switzerland. They do make sense for a lot of people who just don't want a huge SUV (not that the XC90 would be small, mind) but are thankful for a good 4x4, some more ground clearance and some plastic bits that make it look more credible in the countryside (goes better with your Barbour jacket than an all blingy shiny paintwork and colour coded door sills).
IIRC bothe the Volvo and the Audi only came with the bigger engines and well equipped, so where more expensive and a bit of a statement for that matter.
I only see the Audi Allroad as a rival. As someone else has stated, the Volvo is a few steps above the Outback, just look at that interior!!

I like it a lot!!

I don't think I would agree with the term 'Hugely Popular'? do you live in Zurich or Zug or Geneva? They sell quite a few I grant you but there are far more subaru's and skoda octavia/scouts then there are these or the audi equivalents where I live (near Chur) in the mountains where you would imagine the target audience would be for its off road capabilities. The quality of the interior is probably better than say, the subaru outback, but not by that much. Mechanically the subaru is far superior. But its a matter of taste and for sure this will do the job very nicely.

[Krikkit]

IanCress said:

Can't imagine Volvo selling many of these. Surely buyers want either an Estate car or an SUV, can't see the point of this half and half model.

Trying to think of rivals. The Outback being the obvious one, I'm not sure if Audi still make the A6 based All-Road.

They sell very well - not everyone wants a thirsty 4x4 when an estate with a bit more ground clearance and AWD will do. It gets you down tracks and fields etc without any problem, but remains very much a road car rather than a blobby mess.

If anything I'd say that looks better than the standard car.

[Ecosseven]

Quite like this. Also like the look of the Octavia Scout and the Seat Leon X-perience (although it is a daft name!)

[Nickbrapp]

Looks fantastic I think, I saw a v90 out on the road and it had some major presence. Volvo really do make the best looking cars at the moment, not a lemon anywhere in the range

[Doofus]

IanCress said:

Can't imagine Volvo selling many of these. Surely buyers want either an Estate car or an SUV, can't see the point of this half and half model.

Trying to think of rivals. The Outback being the obvious one, I'm not sure if Audi still make the A6 based All-Road.

We're on our third XC70, and I've been eyeing up the new XC90, but Mrs Doofus thinks it'll be too big for her (it is a bit of a beast). So having heard about this V90 XC, I think we may have a winnner.

Only trouble is, I priced up a 'normal' V90 yesterday, and it came in at sixty three grand...

[Oddball RS]

Expensive... and I know materials and quality have taken a much needed boost but I have issue with Volvo's UK product placement they are not BMW or Merc rivals but they price as such and 24 months later you can have one at a massively discounted rate, it happened with the S60.....

Good but ideas above their station price wise.

[anonymous-user]

Oddball RS said:

Expensive... and I know materials and quality have taken a much needed boost but I have issue with Volvo's UK product placement they are not BMW or Merc rivals but they price as such and 24 months later you can have one at a massively discounted rate, it happened with the S60.....

Good but ideas above their station price wise.

The current S60 really wasn't good enough to justify the "premium" pricetag, I believe residual values and sales figures quite clearly reflect that. The current crop have a lot more appeal and seem to have the quality and competence to back it up. I can't help but see Volvo moving into the area that Audi used to occupy in the 80s/90s of tasteful, understated, well engineered, somewhat left field cars. I would have been an Audi customer back then, but that ended when they decided to start appealing to the sort of person who wants their car to have a snarling face.

We have just bought an XC60 as a family bus, precisely because I wanted high profile tyres and not to be getting buckled alloys fixed every 6 months. I have a feeling that once it's been in production for 12 months to iron out the early model bugs I'll be buying a V90CC.

Edited by dme123 on Friday 16th September 12:48

[dukebox9reg]

rastapasta said:

VF7 said:

IanCress said:

Can't imagine Volvo selling many of these. Surely buyers want either an Estate car or an SUV, can't see the point of this half and half model.

Trying to think of rivals. The Outback being the obvious one, I'm not sure if Audi still make the A6 based All-Road.

It is a niche market for sure! But the XC70 and the Allroad are hugely popular here in Switzerland. They do make sense for a lot of people who just don't want a huge SUV (not that the XC90 would be small, mind) but are thankful for a good 4x4, some more ground clearance and some plastic bits that make it look more credible in the countryside (goes better with your Barbour jacket than an all blingy shiny paintwork and colour coded door sills).
IIRC bothe the Volvo and the Audi only came with the bigger engines and well equipped, so where more expensive and a bit of a statement for that matter.
I only see the Audi Allroad as a rival. As someone else has stated, the Volvo is a few steps above the Outback, just look at that interior!!

I like it a lot!!

I don't think I would agree with the term 'Hugely Popular'? do you live in Zurich or Zug or Geneva? They sell quite a few I grant you but there are far more subaru's and skoda octavia/scouts then there are these or the audi equivalents where I live (near Chur) in the mountains where you would imagine the target audience would be for its off road capabilities. The quality of the interior is probably better than say, the subaru outback, but not by that much. Mechanically the subaru is far superior. But its a matter of taste and for sure this will do the job very nicely.

I have a V60 cross country in the UK. Didn't want an SUV but wanted a bit of rough stuff
capability. I have no issues with kerbs, verges, fords etc, it handles no worse than a standard V60 I test drove before hand and the fuel economy, straight line performance etc is all better than the XC60. Its maybe only 80% as capable offroad as an XC60 but much better on it.

[je777]

Nickbrapp said:

Looks fantastic I think, I saw a v90 out on the road and it had some major presence. Volvo really do make the best looking cars at the moment, not a lemon anywhere in the range

I know that the Volvo-love on these pages is strong and that looks are subjective (for me, the Volvo grill looks like the plankton-filtering baleen of a whale's mouth), but really? The best looking cars?

[PowerslideSWE]

IanCress said:

Can't imagine Volvo selling many of these. Surely buyers want either an Estate car or an SUV, can't see the point of this half and half model.

Trying to think of rivals. The Outback being the obvious one, I'm not sure if Audi still make the A6 based All-Road.

Bet they will out-sell the normal one in Sweden. We seem to love stuff like that...

[cadoganpier]

I had an XC70 last year, bloody great car, sooo comfortable and such a nice interior. It was pretty dull to drive though. Surprisingly good off-road as well

[PomBstard]

Fairly certain Subaru were ahead of Volvo by a couple of years with this sort of thing.

[Ray_Aber]

je777 said:

I know that the Volvo-love on these pages is strong and that looks are subjective (for me, the Volvo grill looks like the plankton-filtering baleen of a whale's mouth), but really? The best looking cars?

I don't think that Volvo has the hegemony on good looking cars (although I cannot think of any major manufacturer which has consistently better interiors - or less coal bunker black ones for that matter), but their cars of the last 5 years have impressed me. The V40, S60 and V90 are all terrific looking cars. However, for me, Mazda are up there with Volvo (in mass market manufacturer terms) - the 6 never fails to turn my head, and the 2 and 3 share the same styling language to impressive effect.

Bring in the smaller manufacturers (Aston Martin?) and it's game over for Volvo.

I'm still not sold on the XC90 - it's like a London cab on stilts, especially in black.

[Nickbrapp]

je777 said:

I know that the Volvo-love on these pages is strong and that looks are subjective (for me, the Volvo grill looks like the plankton-filtering baleen of a whale's mouth), but really? The best looking cars?

Which manufacturer would you suggests looks better? Bmw? What about the gopping mess that is the 2 series and the 3 isn't exactly pretty.

Mercs with their melted face?

Audi? Yes they do look good but not as nice as vovlo