I have fond memories of Volvo’s XC70. Designed along the same lines as the Subaru
Outback, Passat Alltrack and Audi Allroad, the XC70 went missing in 2016, a victim of the
SUV revolution.
But small practical wagons still enjoy a loyal, if modest, following and the spirit of XC lives
on in the V60 and V90 Cross Country. And we’re glad to say the V60 Cross Country is of-
fered here.
STYLING
There’s just the one model, priced from $64,990. It’s available in a choice of 10 colours,
with Denim blue and Pine grey available at no extra cost.
The Cross Country makeover adds a different radiator grille, grey plastic cladding, alumin-
ium roof rails and a differently designed wheel, along with a wider track and more ground
clearance.
It’s powered by a 2.0 Litre mild hybrid four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, with an eight-
speed auto and all-wheel drive.
Our test vehicle was optioned with Lifestyle Pack: Panoramic Sunroof, Tinted Rear Win-
dows, Bowers and Wilkins Premium Sound ($5700), Perforated Nappa Leather Accented
Charcoal/Charcoal Interior ($3000); Advanced Air Cleaner ($500) and Metallic Paint (no
cost option).
They take the price to $74,190 plus on-road costs.
Standard kit includes 19-inch alloys, four-zone climate air, with humidity sensor and
CleanZone air quality system, plus Driftwood decor inlays and leather accent upholstery,
heated front seats, power adjust driver and passenger seat with memory, four-way lumbar
support and power cushion extension and power foldable rear backrest.
There’s also keyless entry and start, automatic lights, wipers, dimming interior mirror, 360-
degree camera, self-parking, head-up display, front and rear park sensors, active bending
LED headlights with high pressure cleaning; and hands-free tailgate opening.
INFOTAINMENT
Infotainment consists of 10-speaker ‘High Performance’ audio, 9.0-inch vertical
touchscreen, Bluetooth (including audio streaming), DAB digital radio, Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto Android, wireless device charging and two USB ports. There’s satellite navi-
gation with road sign recognition.
There’s a large, physical volume control knob, but most features are adjusted with a prod
or swipe of the screen.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
If the V60 has a B5 on the back that means it’s a mild hybrid, a B6 means it’s also a hybrid
(but a more powerful one) and Recharge means it’s either fully electric or a plug-in hybrid).
Our Cross Country B5 on review is powered by a 2.0-litre mild hybrid with a 2.0-litre turbo-
petrol engine and a small 10kW electric motor.
The combination kicks out a handy 183kW of power and 350Nm of torque, with power to
all-four wheels via an eight-speed automatic.
SAFETY
Safety extends to dual front, side and curtain airbags. There is Autonomous emergency
braking (City, Interurban & Vulnerable Road User) as well as lane keep assist with lane
departure warning.
Adaptive cruise control including Pilot Assist, Driver Alert; Lane Keeping Aid; Adjustable
Speed Limiter function; Oncoming Lane Mitigation; Blind Spot Information with Cross Traf-
fic Alert Front and Rear Collision Warning with mitigation support; Run-off road Mitigation;
Hill start assist; Hill Descent Control.
Pilot Assist system supports the driver with steering, acceleration and braking on well-
marked roads up to 130km/h.
DRIVING
Dynamic, Eco, Comfort and Off-Road modes are accessed via the touchscreen. The dash
to 100km/h takes 6.9 seconds and it has a top speed of 180km/h.
Fuel consumption is a claimed 7.4L/100km (we were getting 8.0L/100km after close to
600km).
At 1499mm the wagon sits 67mm higher than a standard V60 and at 197mm has 55mm
more clearance between the lowest point and the ground. It can drive safely through water
to a depth of 300mm.
Hill descent control and an ‘off-road’ drive mode have also been added.
In Off Road mode, steering is light and all-wheel drive and hill descent control are activat-
ed. But it can only be activated at low speeds and the speedometer shows the range
available. Start-stop is deactivated.
In Off Road mode the driver info display changes to a compass between the speedometer
and tachometer.
It’s all very impressive, but a bit meaningless because no one in their right mind is going to
take a car like this off road. To the beach yes, down to the snow probably and up to the
farm maybe — but off road? I mean, who wants to scratch the paint or damage the wheels
of their nice new car.
The styling is attractive and bang on for the times, with an inside that matches, finished in
Nappa charcoal leather and shades of grey, with grey coloured wood inlays and some
stainless steel trim pieces.
Interestingly (at least I find it interesting), the tailgate does not boast that it’s a hybrid and
one gets the feeling the wheel has turned, and it is more about performance than econo-
my.
V60 Cross Country goes pretty well too, with punchy acceleration, reassuring braking and
the ability to thread corners flat and at a reasonable rate of knots.
There’s no gear change paddles but you can use the shifter to change gears — left to
change down, right to change up.
Punt it hard and the engine develops a dry, audible rasp, but not an unwelcome one.
Leave the transmission to its own devices and it has a habit of changing down unexpect-
edly, on hills particularly.
Ride quality is firm, but not what we’d describe as crash bang uncomfortable and it’s nice
and quiet inside (music to the ears of this deaf head).
The brakes are excellent too, but have a tendency to pull the car up with a jerk — a lot.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but even Eco mode proved impressive. Although it dulls the
throttle, with 90km left to go on the computer we switched to Eco mode and it pushed this
figure as high as 180km on the motorway before it finally turned south.
The infotainment system in this model is a step behind the Google transformation that has
taken place with the release of XC40 and XC60.
On the plus side, however, it sees the return of iPhone support – and speed camera warn-
ings — yay!
The Lifestyle pack is worth considering because it brings a huge sunroof and the fantastic
Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
Most people spend most of their listening time in the car, so it’s worth the investment —
trust me you can tell the difference.
With 15 speakers and 1100 watts of power it includes metal speaker grilles as well as a
cute dash top tweeter.
Four room modes including ‘Concert hall’ and ‘Jazz club’ allow you to recreate the acous-
tics of a specific room inside the car.
Servicing is every 15,000km or 12 months and two pre-paid service plans are available:
three years/45,000km for $1500 or five years/75,000km for $2500.
SUMMING UP
I like the idea of this car. It looks cool and is a punchy performer. It mightn’t meet off-road
expectations, but it certainly won’t disappoint the rest of the time.
RATINGS:
Looks: 7.5
Performance: 7.5
Safety: 8
Thirst: 8
Practicality: 8
Comfort: 7.5
Tech: 8
Value: 7.5
Overall: 7.8
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Volvo V60 Cross Country B5 AWD, $64,990
Note: This price does not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your lo-
cal Volvo dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Volvo V60 B5 Cross Country, 2.0L four-cylinder petrol turbo, 48-volt
mild hybrid, 8sp automatic, AWD)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.0 litres
Configuration: 4-cylinders in-line, turbocharged, 48-volt mild hybrid
Maximum Power: 183kW @ 5400-5700rpm
Maximum Torque: 350Nm @ 1800-4800rpm
Fuel Type: Petrol 95 RON
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 7.4L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 168 g/km
DRIVELINE: Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4787 mm
Wheelbase: 2875 mm
Width: 2040 mm
Height: 1499 mm
Turning Circle: 11.3 metres
Kerb Mass: 1886 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 71 litres
BRAKES:
Front: 345 x 30 mm ventilated disc
Rear: 322 x 28 mm ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
5 years/unlimited kilometres (8 years battery)
