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

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]