Volvo V90 Cross Country review: The £40,000 estate that’s been a hit with families for 20 years if you don’t want a Land Rover
The new V90 Cross Country is a refreshing change from the avalanche of soft-roading SUVs aimed at families. The Volvo is a good old-fashioned estate that's been doing the business for 20 years - and isn't stopping yet
A NEW SUV/4x4/crossover/soft-roader – or whatever you want to call it – seems to be launched on a monthly basis.
It feels like all I drive are cars made for kid-clutching football mums, so it has been refreshing to get behind the wheel of a good old-fashioned estate.
Although not particularly trendy, Mercedes and Audi both offer battle-ready load-luggers as an alternative to an SUV – estates that are equally at home carrying junk to the tip as they are ferrying the family to school.
But Volvo is the daddy in this area.
It first launched the V70XC in 1997, and it’s been popular among Land Rover-avoiding customers ever since.
The V90 Cross Country is the more capable version of the already brilliant V90 Estate (which I drove earlier this month).
Key facts: Volvo V90 Cross Country D4 AWD
Price: £40,650
Engine: 2-litre diesel
Economy: 62.8mpg
0-62mph: 8.5 secs
Top speed: 140mph
Length: 4.9 metres
CO2: 119g/km
It benefits from an additional 65mm of ground clearance, cool contrasting charcoal wheel extensions, chunkier sills and enlarged mirrors.
There’s also an intelligent all-wheel-drive system that takes care of slippery fields, and a hill descent mode that helps drivers traverse dales and other such country stuff.
But here’s the issue. The Volvo V90 Cross Country is way too nice to tackle sheep-herding duties or ferry tools to a building site.
It is the same issue I had with the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain.
Why on Earth would you want to get an interior like this even remotely dirty?
The inside of the beefed-up V90 features leather seats, illuminated footwells, a voice-activated touch-screen infotainment system and heated seats.
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It is one of the finest premium vehicles currently available and, if I were the proud owner, I’d insist on a strict “no work wear” policy inside.
The gorgeous Swede isn’t perfect. The enlarged mirrors block views at roundabouts, the ride isn’t as pillowy-soft as the standard V90 and even the most basic Cross Country D4 diesel models tickle the £40k mark.
But it’s a beautifully crafted car for the money and I’d much rather own a rugged estate that never goes off-road than be that bloke with a mud-shy Land Rover.
