2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country first drive review: A little goes a long way

Three inches. Three inches of floor clearance are actually all that separate Volvo’s new Cross Country from the V60 wagon on which it is primarily based. Tack on a little bit of tasteful physique cladding and the result’s a wagon that is as butch as it’s lovely. Admit it, you need one.The transformation from V60 to Cross Country is minor, but it surely actually works. Volvo’s been doing the Cross Country factor because the late 1990s, and it is part of the luxurious house, nevertheless small, that it owns like no different automaker can.Scandinavian slickIt’s simple to fall in love with the 2020 V60 Cross Country on a Volvo-designed dealing with course atop a frozen lake in northern Sweden — speak about your own home court docket benefit. The Cross Country’s additional floor clearance means it simply and eagerly blasts over packed snow. And with properly weighted steering and a throttle that is simple to modulate, I’ve no bother hanging the V60’s tail out for prolonged drifts by means of an extended, right-hand sweeper on this Arctic playground.The Cross Country makes use of the identical all-wheel-drive system as the usual V60 T6, which may break up energy 50/50 between the entrance and rear axles, however principally runs a front-wheel-drive setup in cruising situations. The solely distinction is that the Cross Country provides an Off-Road mode to its AWD system, which actually simply will get you hill descent management. It works a deal with on a brief, steep slope that takes me from stable floor out to the frozen lake, holding the V60 Cross Country at a slow-and-steady downward pace even on this slick floor.It’s value noting that Volvo fitted its take a look at automobiles with Michelin X-Ice North studded snow tires, which add heaps of traction in these super-slippery situations. (Studded snow tires aren’t authorized in some components of the US, however I am unable to advocate studless winter rubber sufficient when you stay in a cold-weather state.)Hoonable ice capades apart, the V60 Cross Country is a relaxed, easygoing cruiser. Along the snowy streets of Luleå, Sweden, the Volvo gives a supple experience, however one which’s by no means floaty or disconnected. The V60 does not get the optionally available rear air suspension of the bigger V90 Cross Country, however you truthfully do not want it. The commonplace suspension setup is completely effective — and moreover, Volvo says solely like 5 % of V90 Cross Country patrons go for the air suspension, anyway.Sliding into your DMs like…
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T5 energy is completely fineEvery US-spec V60 Cross Country shall be powered by Volvo’s ubiquitous T5 powertrain, consisting of a 2.0-liter, turbocharged I4 engine and an eight-speed automated transmission. No, you possibly can’t purchase a Cross Country with the V60’s extra highly effective, turbocharged-and-supercharged T6 engine. But you possibly can’t purchase a regular V60 T5 with all-wheel drive, both.With 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque on supply, the T5 setup feels just-right within the V60 Cross Country. In reality, I choose this engine to the extra complicated T6 and T8 setups in Volvo’s different automobiles. The added energy of the V60’s T6 engine is sweet, however with a turbocharger and a supercharger providing help, there are sometimes bizarre bursts of energy in bizarre locations all through the engine’s rev vary. Instead, the turbo-only T5 gives predictable punch, reaching most torque from 1,800 rpm. The all-wheel-drive V60 Cross Country might have 275 extra kilos to lug round than a front-wheel-drive V60 T5, however Volvo says it is solely barely slower when accelerating from a standstill. It hits 62 miles per hour in a good 6.8 seconds.EPA gas financial system knowledge will not be obtainable for a pair extra months, however anticipate the V60 Cross Country to return barely lower than the 24 miles per gallon metropolis, 36 mpg freeway and 28 mpg mixed rankings of the usual V60 T5. That mentioned, many Roadshow workers members have had bother hitting the EPA numbers in different T5-equipped Volvos, in order at all times, your mileage might differ.Do you even raise, bro?
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Comfy and capaciousYou should buy a V60 wagon in Momentum, R-Design and Inscription trims, however Volvo says the Cross Country will solely come a method. Exact US gear ranges and packaging are nonetheless TBD, however European fashions can have 18-, 19- and 20-inch wheel choices. The automotive you see right here rides on 19s, and I believe they give the impression of being nice.Inside, leather-based seats and steel accents look unbelievable within the handsomely designed V60 inside, and a panoramic sunroof lets the sunshine shine in — useful on these dreary winter days. I form of want the Cross Country have been obtainable with the City Weave material upholstery just like the Momentum-trim V60, however I suppose there must be one little bit of imperfection on this package deal, proper?Because the V60 and Cross Country are dimensionally an identical inside, you may discover ample headroom, and taller drivers did not register any complaints after driving the Cross Country over the course of two days. Like Volvo’s different new automobiles, the closely sculpted entrance seats are as comfortable as they’re fairly, with help in all the precise locations. The rear seats supply loads of room for average-height adults or your valuable brood. And after they’re folded flat, you have received 50.9 cubic ft of house to haul your whatevers. Volvo’s interiors would possibly all look the identical, however you will not hear me complain.
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Familiar tech, and many itLike in each different new Volvo, infotainment duties are dealt with by the corporate’s Sensus Connect software program, a love-it-or-hate-it system if there ever was one. On one hand, Sensus is gorgeous to behold, its 9-inch, portrait-style show providing brilliant, crisp graphics and colourful shows. I like that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are housed in a separate tile on the Sensus residence display screen, that means they do not robotically take over the entire interface.On the opposite hand, Sensus’ myriad pages are tough to navigate, and even after numerous loans of Volvo merchandise through the years, I nonetheless really feel like I do not fairly have a grasp on the place every little thing lives within the menu construction. A quicker processor means Sensus is not as gradual to begin up and reply to inputs because it as soon as was, however I nonetheless discover some lag. And I like Volvo’s 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster sufficient, but it surely is not half as fairly or information-rich as what you may discover within the newest Audi and Mercedes-Benz merchandise.Being a Volvo, security tech is in appropriately excessive provide. Pre-collision braking, lane-keeping help, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors and a 360-degree digital camera are all commonplace. Volvo will supply its Pilot Assist tech, too, which mixes the adaptive cruise management and lane-keep tech for partially autonomous, hands-on-the-wheel driving.With 8.3 inches of floor clearance, this factor has an awesome stance.
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Small adjustments, massive enchantmentVolvo says the 2020 V60 Cross Country shall be obtainable to order within the first quarter of this 12 months, however deliveries will not happen till summer time. Like the usual V60, the Cross Country shall be obtainable in any respect Volvo sellers — it will not be an order-only affair just like the V90 wagon. Pricing hasn’t been launched simply but, however I will wager the V60 Cross Country is available in proper round $45,000. A front-wheel-drive V60 T5 begins at $38,900, and the Cross Country will supply a bit extra in the way in which of ordinary gear.The V60 Cross Country’s closest competitor is the Audi A4 Allroad, which begins at $45,700. A Buick Regal TourX, in the meantime, begins just below $30,000, but it surely is not half as good inside as both of its European counterparts. Volvo’s bigger XC60 crossover is a extra practical various and it overlaps the Cross Country in worth. But come on, you do not simply need to be one other nameless a part of the crossover-SUV set, do you?Besides, that is what I like finest about Volvo’s Cross Country fashions: They’re completely different. The V60 is arguably the perfect instance of the Cross Country package deal but — it is nicer to drive than the larger V90, and I believe it seems to be higher, too. It won’t be too completely different from a regular V60 wagon, however that is as a result of the V60 is a hell of a robust basis on which to construct. All it takes is a bit more experience top and a few tough-guy type. The Cross Country updo makes Volvo’s V60 extra interesting than ever.Editors’ observe: Travel prices associated to this characteristic have been lined by the producer. This is frequent within the auto trade, as it’s miles extra economical to ship journalists to automobiles than to ship automobiles to journalists. While Roadshow accepts multiday car loans from producers with the intention to present scored editorial critiques, all scored car critiques are accomplished on our turf and on our phrases.The judgments and opinions of Roadshow’s editorial workforce are our personal and we don’t settle for paid editorial content material.