Review and First Drive: 2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country T6 AWD
Heated steering wheel and seats are standard, as are the Thor’s Hammer daytime running lamps. The rear hatch opens via a key fob command or a foot kick below the bumper.
DRIVING THE VOLVO V90 CROSS COUNTRY
The Cross Country, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year (Volvo had a pristine V70 Cross Country standing by for comparison at its launch event), is not merely a nod to off-road driving. With 8.3” (21 centimeters) of ground clearance compared to the 6” on the regular V90 wagon, it’s ready to leave the beaten path.
While the standard V90 wagon can be ordered as a front-wheel drive T5 with a 2.0-liter four banger that develops 240 horsepower, or a T6 with a turbo and supercharged engine that develops 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and all-wheel drive, the V90 Cross Country has but one available powertrain, the T6 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The V90 Cross Country has impressive towing capacity.
The Cross Country has a double wishbone front suspension and a standard integral rear link suspension. My Cross Country came equipped with the optional electronically controlled air suspension in the rear with a choice of several modes.
Open the driver’s door and you’ll find a minimum of clutter, along with supple leather and other natural, high-quality soft-touch materials. The seats – which have unique and rather elegant pearl stitching (it’s a thicker/thinner stitch) – have been specifically designed for the 90 Series and combine a high-tech, almost futuristic look with supreme comfort. They are both heated and cooled and I found the massage feature to be more effective than anything I’ve experienced in other premium automobiles.
My V90 Cross Country had dark walnut wood with open pores and at first I wasn’t sure it was wood, especially when compared with the beautiful light woods Volvo uses in the S90 and SC90. I’d go with the flame birch for a more elegant look myself but the walnut does add to the overall rugged impression of the Cross Country.
Click here to continue to Page 3 – Inside the 2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country
