Volvo V90 Cross Country Review
Car Tested: Volvo V90 Cross Country; Road Test No. 840; Test Location: Coorg
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 71,03,766/-
The Volvo V90 Cross Country might seem off-beat but it has a lot going for it
Station wagons have never caught the fancy of Indians because of their boxy appearance and boring design. This inhibition hasn’t stopped Volvo from getting its latest offering, the V90 Cross Country, to Indian shores. The Swedish company is betting big on their latest product offering and are confident that this car will carve out a brand new segment by itself. The Cross Country is not new to India, this will be Volvo’s third Cross Country model after the V40 and S60. The V90 Cross Country promises to be the perfect fit between a SUV and sedan, or does it? We were down the beautiful countryside of Coorg to find out.
Motor Quest: Volvo is on a product offensive in India. The automaker launched the all-new XC90 in 2015, followed by the S90 in 2016, the S60 Polestar in 2017 and now this, the V90 Cross Country. The Swedish automaker offers CBU products but even then, all of their cars are priced very competitively.
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The station wagon styling might not be to everyone’s taste in India
Exteriors – The V90 Cross Country is based on the S90 sedan and if you look closely, the front fascia and half side profile is nearly identical. You get the same sharp LED headlamps and the only difference here is that the front grille has slightly different looking slats. Go to the rear quarter and you will notice the SUV profile. There is no denying that this car is probably the best looking station wagon we have seen. The design is dynamic with key highlights being the sloping windscreen and the signature Volvo tail-lamp cluster.
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The station wagon gets a hint of sportiness with those wheels
Black cladding runs along the wheel arches which looks full with massive 20-inch diamond cut alloys. Both these are reminiscent of the SUV character it imbibes but it’s not all show, there are a lot of functional bits too. Ground clearance has been raised by 60 mm from the S90 to a mammoth 210 mm which is more than most of the SUVs out there.
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Dashboard layout remains functional, loaded with tech
Interiors – The interiors too are inspired from the S90 but you now have an option of a yellowish beige upholstery which appears to get less dirty over time. You can also order a grey upholstery if you like the interiors to have a darker tone. The cabin layout is identical to the S90 sedan and quality, fit and finish is simply stupendous. Volvo has surely taken luxury too seriously and everything in the cabin feels good, the leather, the stitching or the aluminium inserts on the dashboard. Starting from the XC90, Volvo has done away with the insane number of buttons seen on the dash, you now have a very intuitive 9-inch touchscreen which controls everything.
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The specially designed seats are supportive and well-shaped
The seats on the V90 Cross Country are the best we’ve seen in this price bracket
The front seats offer phenomenal levels of comfort. These electronically adjustable seats get memory function, hot and cold ventilation and if you are in the mood to pamper yourself, you can take advantage of the massage function. There are 4 types of massage on offer with 3 intensities and speed. The seats also have electrically adjustable side bolsters, lumbar and thigh support. On the other hand, the rear seat doesn’t get massage function and isn’t as comfortable as the front. There is adequate headroom and legroom in both rows. The rear also has a large transmission tunnel which makes it best for two passengers. Clearly, this car is targeted towards those who will be occupying the front seat more often.
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The infotainment system is fluid and sound quality is splendid
There are tons of features on offer and most of them actually work and aren’t the usual marketing gimmicks. You have a powered tailgate, Sensus navigation, panoramic roof, full LED headlamps, rear and front park assist and a 1400 Watt, 19-speaker Bower & Wilkins audio system which gives out some amazing sound. This car is also equipped with Tyre Pressure Monitoring system, Nappa Leather perforated upholstery, 4-zone climate control, rain sensing wipers, Radar-guided distance alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Park Assist Pilot, Heads-Up display & rear camera.
