It s an automotive writer s job to expose buyers to choice. To inform. To educate. Truth
is, humans don t want information, they want validation. Most people are buying SUVs and
crossovers these days because they re practical useful vehicles. Just like this, the Volvo
V60 Cross Country. A wagon. A body style few are going for these days. The Swedes were
among the first to dress theirs like SUVs, even when sport utes didn t dominate the roads.
The Cross Country is a very urban hiker, with a slightly raised drive height and cladding
that s less REI, more Nordstrom.
Vehicles are expensive these days. The average new one goes for 48-49 thousand dollars. For
50 grand you can get a base V60 Cross Country and it s pretty well equipped. All wheel drive,
those safety features Volvo is famous for, even a glass panoramic roof.
This being a fully loaded Ultimate model, it ll set you back sixty-three five. Pragmatic
Swedish folk might find the $3,200 20-inch wheels something they can live without. The
Bowers and Wilkins Premium Sound at the same price might be a deal. ABBA never sounded
better. And this is an ideal place to relax in. Volvo executives say they build their
vehicles as decompression chambers for owners so the commute home is a chance to unwind.
And these heated and vented seats uphold the reputation of being the most comfortable and
supportive in the biz. You ll understand the moment you plop down in them.
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Moving on to the powertrain
B5 on the rump tells the world you re driving a 48-volt mild-hybrid assisted by a 13-horsepower
electric motor. A pretty esoteric reference. The turbocharged 2-liter 4 cylinder makes
247 hp and 258 lb-feet of torque (SOUND UP) startup is exceptionally smooth,, little to
no engine vibration (SOUND UP) The gearbox is an 8-speed that never misses a beat. There
is manual control, it is done here, there are no paddles to play with. Typically, modern
cars now come with drive modes. Not the Cross Country, just an off-road mode.
It s not like Volvo owners are going to be doing competition quarter mile runs in mall
parking lots but people do want a certain amount of performance. This will do 0 to 60
dash in six and a half seconds, which is respectable.
Anything more would be a bad example to the kids, or make them car sick
Under hard acceleration there is a little bit of graininess from the four-cylinder but
overall the powertrain is very smooth. And this is a mild hybrid. It drives pretty much
like a regular car, it doesn t have that typical hybrid dynamic where you start on the electric
motor and then the gas engine feathers in.
This is lifted a bit, but it doesn t have the higher seating position found in say an
XC60 or XC90. That said it keeps the center of gravity down for better handling. This
isn t meant to be a performance car, it s all about offering the feeling of security,
in both driving dynamics and safety
This weighs just over 4,000 pounds. It feels agile, the steering weight is on the light
side. it s comfortable and overall it s very quiet. And with all that cargo room back there,
this would be a great vehicle to take, dare I say, cross country?
It would be a solid road tripper. And for city driving, the V60 s size is terrific for
maneuvering urban situations. And it still has enough room for passengers and cargo.
So buyers with an open mind get nimbleness and utility. But not extreme towing or off-road
ability. Know your needs.
Bring this down to a stop and the automatic engine stop start system is very very smooth.
It can also be turned off but it s so good why would you want to do that plus this car
is so serene, it s kind of nice to have the quietness.
For those that think a true SUV is needed for off-roading nope. At the 2022 Mudfest
Outdoor Vehicle of the Year competition, the V60 Cross Country, with 8.1 inches of ground
clearance, roamed the standard off road course without breathing hard. It can handle nearly
a foot of water, but you know, never cross the stuff you don t know the depth, or if
it s moving fast right? Arguably, even the most capable body-on-frame sport utes seldom
tackle terrain like this. Because who wants to mess up a machine that goes for 63 grand?
And I had the opportunity to drive the V60 Cross Country in the mother country, in February.
The AWD system reacts very well to snowy conditions. As for icy ones, these were outfitted with
winter tires which, in and of themselves make a world of difference when it comes to braking.
Remember kids, it s AWD, not all wheel stop.
This doesn t get the fuel economy that you d expect from a full hybrid, nothing like
40 miles per gallon. The EPA rates the average at 26. Now the regular V60 is available as
a plug-in hybrid and it has some 40 miles of all electric range and it s significantly
more powerful, just not available as a Cross Country.
Volvo s cabin vibe is different from other automakers. It s an airy space with as many
natural materials as practical in an automobile. This isn t plastic, it s Orrefors crystal.
There s lots of light if you want it and an homage to SAAB when it comes to the ignition.
The automaker even has it s own font. Plus, these are some of the best feeling releases
in the business.
Volvo s new user interface is based on the Android Automotive platform. It relies heavily
on casual voice commands. That s good, you can keep your eyes on the road. Volvo. Safety.
Sometimes these systems are pretty laggy. Not this one. Now I m gonna do this in real
time. No edits. It uses the wake phrase Hey Google set the temperature to 74 . Okay, changing
the temperature to 74 . Hey Google, is there any good coffee around. All right there s
a Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea Company 0.9 miles away. Wanna navigate there? Sure.
There are a few hard buttons, not many though. Using the HVAC system takes my eyes off the
road, would prefer to see this at the top of the screen. But again, this can all be
accomplished using the natural voice prompts. And there s the usual storage areas, all of
them finished and lined to keep rattles down. I ve driven vehicles twice the price that
don t get this level of refinement. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay require a cord, and
there s no wireless phone charger.
The back is optimized for two passengers, if they re adults. Three kids would be okay.
The issue is the large spine running down the middle. Getting organized is easy, no
problem there. Phones can be charged, make sure you have USB C cords. This one is equipped
with the Climate Package, passengers back here will be happy you spent the $700 for
the extra zone and heated seats. And it s not just the front folks that get comfortable
seating, it applies here too. The support is something special.
People buy SUVs for that middle letter, utility. Wagons have the same practicality and usually
easier to load because the floor is lower. Same with the roof when hiking bikes or kayaks
up onto racks. Skis can be stashed here to keep wind noise down. Seats down, there s
over 60 cubic feet, all of them up it s 30. Any vehicle oriented toward the outdoors should
have physical spare, not all of them do. Going to file video, one thing missing from my tester
is this handy touch found on the last V60 Cross Country I drove. It keeps groceries
from rolling around. Same with this strap, should be standard equipment. And wagons hold
nearly the same amount of cargo as SUV crossovers, even though the sleek profile tends to lower
the roof a bit. Four people could each bring 2 carryon suitcase. Or way too much TP at
8 packs. Let s move on to Red Light Green Light.
Green Light- Want something practical and exclusive? Wagons are a one two punch there.
The cabin is so calming, you may cancel your therapy sessions. The driving dynamics are
also soothing, but never sloppy. Sit in Volvo seats to understand how good they are.
Yellow Light- 26 miles per gallon is fine for a car this size, wish Cross Country got
the PHEV powertrain. Even the back seats are comfortable, unfortunately the center spine
takes up space. The lovely interior is missing a phone charge pad and wireless Android Auto
and CarPlay
Red Light- Wagons simply won t have the raised ride height that people want these days. Seems
like there s an arms race there. Interfaces that rely on data plans aren t as useful in
cellular dead zones and there s the monthly subscription fee. New models get less cargo
area accoutrements. OR For extreme off roading or towing, you ll need something else.
Doesn t deliver the ride height Americans demand
Wilderness areas may not have the data service you paid for
Seems like Volvo eliminated some handy trunk tools
I m not going into depth about Volvo s safety tech, but in many ways, it remains the best
you can buy. Subtle things like seats that protect spines if the car runs off the road.
Traffic Jam Assist semi-autonomous driving tech is standard. The automatic braking is
known for being especially good at detecting pedestrians, cyclists and large animals, even
at night.
It s a shame that wagons have developed the image that they have, they re kind of the
sports cars of SUVs and crossovers. And mommy mobile? Okay, what do moms want to drive these
days? SUVs and crossovers, right? If you want to be the cool mom or dad, I guess that s
an oxymoron, drive one of these.
Wagons have become rare. Audi has the A4 and A6 allroads, Mercedes offers the All-Terrain,
Subaru is the volume leader with Outback. And for more room, Volvo still has the beautiful
V90. For now So, when shopping for a vehicle to haul the brood, know that there are choices.
The V60 Cross Country is a style statement that sets a family apart, and doesn t sacrifice
utility.
There s an effort by automotive enthusiast to save the manuals . Pretty sure there s
nothing like that when it comes to wagons. Hey, the market decides, I get it. Volvo used
to be the king of station wagons, now even it struggles to move them. Talk to any auto
writer and they seem to love the long roof but we tend to like esoteric things. The joke
is that the perfect car for an auto writer is a brown, diesel-powered wagon with a manual
gearbox. My son, covets wagons. I brought him up right.
As always special thanks to Martin Campbell for driving duties so I can shoot running
footage. Hey you were saying that you didn t want an SUV but your wife does. What about
a wagon? No. What? Why? It has the same utility. I don t know, I don t know.
See what I mean, you can inform people but many just want what they want. As I ve always
said, test drive at least three different vehicles and always include at outlier, because
you don t know what you don t know, until you have some experience.
Before I go, a little, Know your car reviewer information. I am famously not brand loyal
OK. I ve owned dozens of cars from different manufacturers, but I will admit I have kind
of a soft spot for Volvos. We ve owned four wagons and totaled three of them. Yeah we
really tested the safety features on those things. The first one was Volvo versus semi,
and my wife and two kids walked away unscathed. The second one was Volvo versus Subaru, where
the Subaru ran a red light and hit my son. He was fine. The third one, Volvo versus Ford
F250, where the driver was a little too interested in his phone and didn t see that traffic on
the highway was stopped and just completely obliterated the backend. So we ve really tested
safety features. And it s kind of funny Volvo seems to de-emphasize the safety thing.. It
really works. Trust me I know. Thanks for watching. Remember to subscribe to this channel
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all over social media and if you have a question leave it in the car that s OK all right that
s driven I m Tom Voelk.