By: Joshua Lee
July 8, 2024
Volvo and station wagons go hand in hand, providing families with versatility and comfort for many decades. With the market dominated by SUVs, these “long-roof” vehicles are slowly disappearing. The Volvo V90 and V90 Cross Country faced challenges in Canada, both being available for only three years before being discontinued in 2019. The Volvo V90 Cross Country made its return in 2022 with a few updates to hopefully win people over.
The 2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country comes with one powertrain option, a 2.0L four-cylinder engine that is both supercharged and turbocharged, paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system producing 295 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Volvo calls this powertrain the ‘B6’. The V90 Cross Country has standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is energetic, and the transmission shifts quickly. It is fun to drive with responsive steering and feels planted when going into corners.
Our V90CC B6 Ultimate comes in a Platinum Grey Metallic finish with optional 21-inch black diamond-cut alloy wheels. While the wheel design looks good, it does make the ride stiffer. Volvo never fails at making attractive station wagons, and the V90CC is recognizable with its long profile, sculpted hood, stainless steel tailgate scuff plate, “Thor’s Hammer” DRLs, and distinctive rear taillights. Tasteful chrome detailing adds elegance, while black plastic body cladding gives the V90CC its SUV look. Ground clearance for the V90CC is 7.9 inches, which is lower than the Subaru Outback’s 8.7 inches.
Fans of Volvo will find the interior familiar, as the cabin maintains its calm and minimalist design. Amber Nappa leather, Pitched Oak wood trim, and an Orrefors crystal gear shift look luxurious in the V90CC. The front seats offer countless adjustment settings and are always comfortable with heated, ventilated, and massage functions. The V90CC’s infotainment system features Google Built-In Services; you can log in to your account and access all the features you normally use on the nine-inch center display. Apple CarPlay is available but only in a wired configuration. Even though Google Built-In is easy to use, the touchscreen itself is showing its age with slight delays and a bit tedious to access functions quickly as they are sorted in another menu page.
A panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, four-zone climate control, 12-inch driver’s display, head-up display, and rear door sunshades are standard in the B6 Ultimate trim. The optional 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system replaces the Harman Kardon setup in our tester. With the seats up, the V90CC has 551L of cargo space, expanding to 1517L with the 60/40 split-folding seats down.
The V90CC features a 360-degree camera, parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Pilot Assist provides steering assistance in conjunction with the adaptive cruise control system. It is simple to activate and is a pleasure to use in stop-and-go traffic.
The Volvo V90CC receives a fuel economy rating of 10.7L/100KM city, 8.1L/100KM highway, for a combined 9.5L/100KM. The mild-hybrid system only assists in starting up the engine and recovering brake energy to boost engine acceleration. It reduces engine load, which also lowers fuel consumption. We got 8.8L/100KM during our week-long test.
At the time of testing, the Volvo V90 Cross Country starts at $72,200 with the base Plus trim and $79,050 with the Ultimate. Adding in our optional extras, our tester model comes in at $87,445 before taxes.
The Volvo V90 Cross Country will be a hit for Volvo fans as it continues to represent Volvo’s history of a practical family car. The new station wagon is more refined with its new powertrain and adds lots of premium features for that luxurious appeal. If the V90 Cross Country is too big, Volvo has the V60 and V60 Cross Country, which are 6.7 inches shorter. It is a rare sight on the road, which is a shame because the V90 Cross Country is a great alternative to an SUV. With few competitors, the Volvo V90 Cross Country shines, and we hope buyers can see what a well-rounded estate this is.
