Introduction
Volvo is angling towards a much cleaner future by dropping all diesel powertrains from its new models this year and is forging ahead with petrol and electrified units instead.
But the Swedish brand is giving the oil-burning engine a swansong in its latest ‘soft-roader’ – the V60 Cross Country.
Based on the mid-sized estate, the Cross Country comes with bolder styling features around the bottom edge and a raised ride height so it can tackle rutted country lane without any hassle.
But can this last diesel-powered Volvo perform as well as the ones before it and help make this more rugged version of the V60 a practical country tourer? We find out…
Performance
The D4 diesel unit is the only unit available with the V60 Cross Country and it develops 187bhp and 400Nm of torque. As you would expect from an off-road inspired model, the power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission – which offers smooth power delivery, as the torque is available throughout the rev-range and the changes are really quick too.
With that setup, the Cross Country can go from 0-60mph in 7.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 137mph. This package helps this version of the V60 perfectly adept at cruising, so you can tackle long drives without hassle.
Ride & Handling
As with most other Volvos, the ride and drive of the V60 Cross Country is excellently composed. Thanks to supple suspension and a well-refined overall experience, it is truly one of the best estate cars around for driving – as cruising is so easy and the steering is rather good as well.
But the V60 Cross Country is angled towards being good on the rougher stuff as well as smoother tarmac, and Volvo has done well here, too. Although it won’t traverse rocky slopes and deep forests in a single bound, the V60 can drive along muddy tracks and across fields – where the car is likely to be used most – without any trouble at all. When the off-road mode is engaged, the transmission holds onto gears longer and the hill descent control comes in for better driver involvement and control.
See Available V60 Cross Country deals
Interior & Equipment
The cabin is the same as it is in the standard V60 – which is no bad thing. The simple and stylish layout is centered around the nine-inch Sensus infotainment touchscreen, and that is surrounded by leather and other soft-touch materials throughout the rest of the cabin. All the controls are easy to reach from the driver’s seat, while operating the Sensus screen is no hassle either.
Space-wise, the V60 Cross Country is also excellent, as the boot space measures 529 litres, which leads the segment. Even the likes of the Audi A4 Allroad and BMW 3 Series Touring can match that. With the split rear seats folded flat, users get up to 1,441 litres of storage.
As it only comes in one spec and is placed near the top of the V60’s price list, every Cross Country comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, hill start assist, automatic LED headlights and wipers, dual-zone climate control and the Sensus infotainment system. On our test car though, Volvo had added even more equipment in the shape of a panoramic glass roof, park pilot assist, adaptive cruise control, a high-end audio system, smartphone connectivity support and 19-inch alloy wheels, which collectively drove the price up by a fair amount.
Cost
The base price for the Cross Country is £38,270, which is just over £1,000 more than the V60 in top-end Momentum Pro spec. With all the additional kit on-board though, our test car cost £49,395, which is probably a bit too much.
The final Volvo diesel can claim to achieve 42.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 143g/km, with the engine suiting the off-roading nature of the Cross Country well.
Verdict
The base V60 was a really good car anyway, and thankfully Volvo hasn’t spoilt it with the additional bodywork, raised ride height and standard four-wheel drive. If you spend most of your time in and around town, then the Cross Country version of the V60 is probably not the one to go for – as the Momentum Pro version of the standard V60 is cheaper and arguably better at doing that. But if you need to go off-road quite often and need it for weaving along country lanes, then the Cross Country is a great option.
