2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country: The Swedes Debut an Anti-Crossover

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

What a difference a lift makes.

Always the purveyors of something different, Sweden’s Volvo Car Corporation has officially lifted the veil on its newest product — a lifted, all-terrain version of its elegant V90 wagon.

Just don’t call it a crossover. It’s a Cross Country.

Maybe all-terrain is a misnomer. Think “more terrain” instead. The V90 Cross Country, first revealed at last November’s Los Angeles Auto Show, is meant to replace the brand’s slow-selling XC70. That wagon also sported a raised ride height and all-wheel drive, with a very healthy dash of plastic bodyside cladding.

Thankfully, the body cladding has gone the way of the Aztek and Avalanche.

With the Cross Country, Volvo has fleshed out its 90-series lineup. Long, elegant and packed with technology, the top shelf sedan and wagons compliment the XC90 SUV that sparked the once-struggling brand’s turnaround.

Specifications released by Volvo show the ground clearance of the Cross Country increasing from six inches to 8.2 inches. The automaker lists the model’s approach and departure angles at 18.9 degrees and 20.7 degrees, respectively. Owners aren’t likely to risk a Jeep-worthy off-road excursion in the pricey V90 Cross Country, but you never know when the woods will come calling.

Speaking of coniferous trees standing starkly against a brilliant white sky, the promotional videos accompanying the Cross Country’s launch must have been filmed by the Swedish Tourism Bureau. You’ll want to freeze your ass off after watching them. Oh, and the Volvo seems nice, too.

V90 Cross Country models are available in T5 and T6 guise, with the former turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 254 horsepower and the latter making 320. T6 engines are supercharged and turbocharged. There’s as much air blowing under the wagon’s hood as there is in the vast Scandinavian mountains.

Both engines are bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

When the going gets rough (in a refined way), Cross Country owners can engage the vehicle’s “Off Road” drive mode, one of four modes available — including Eco, Comfort and Dynamic (meaning high performance). Rear air suspension with computer-controlled dampers are optional.

Tested in the bone-chilling snows of northern Sweden and the butt-scorching flats of Arizona, Volvo claims the Cross Country’s all-weather capabilities are sufficiently vetted. Anything less, of course, would be un-Scandinavian. The V90 Cross Country starts production this fall.

[Images: Volvo Car Corporation]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • BrunoT BrunoT on Sep 15, 2016

    A compromise between the greater capacity of the XC90 and the better handling and ride of a V90 wagon. I don't get it. But I don't live where it snows all winter.

  • 28-Cars-Later 28-Cars-Later on Sep 15, 2016

    Hopefully FCP Euro will carry an aftermarket suspension package for "normal" and thus I can haves me wagon.

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
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