2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country

Most of the world could likely get by with the regular Volvo V60. Throw some winter tires on an all-wheel-drive model, and we can all but guarantee safe passage through every snowstorm. But maybe you’re the kind of person who likes to see a little more wheel gap and faux rugged trim. Or maybe you’re just a normal American who wants a crossover that’s a little bit easier to get in and out of. Either way, that’s who the 2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country is for. Lifted and plasticized to better handle those steep driveway inclines in the suburbs. You know, crossover stuff. However, the V60 Cross Country isn’t a crossover. We’ll categorize it as a “luxury lifted wagon,” a category that doesn’t have a whole lot of competition in it right now (Audi A4 Allroad, and that’s about it). Volvo simply took a regular V60, and changed it a little bit. There’s 2.4 inches more ground clearance; the suspension is tuned to be more comfortable, and the track was widened slightly. The powertrain carries over, and the only version available is the T5. That means it’s powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. This gets mated to an eight-speed automatic that swaps cogs smoothly and quickly. Before options, the V60 Cross Country looks like an affordable-enough luxury cruiser at $46,095. Ours was loaded up all the way to $56,990. Thank the $4,000 Bowers and Wilkins premium audio system for the largest chunk of that increase. Somehow, it sounds good enough that the price doesn’t repel us. Our tester also had the $2,800 Cross Country Pro Package, which added an exterior styling kit, 19-inch wheels, four-zone climate control, Lime Deco trim inlays and power seat functions like power lumbar and power lower cushion extensions. The $2,500 Advanced Package adds bending LED headlights and LED fog lights, a head-up display, Volvo’s Pilot Assist system (adaptive cruise with lane-centering) and a 360-degree camera. Finally, a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats had to be optioned separately, leading to another $750 charge. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: This made me miss the V70 and V70 Cross Country that once graced the Snyder Mill Garage. Over the weekend, my large son and I took this V60 Cross Country for some errands, and I was able to relive just how useful the wayback of a wagon really is. The rear of the V60 is spacious, wide-open and, perhaps most important, has a not-too-high, not-too-low load floor. This made for easy work of loading a 50-pound bag of chicken feed, two 20-pound bags of bird food, some long reflective driveway markers and other sundries. I could’ve packed a lot more back there without having to drop the rear seats. There was a good amount of room for the child seat in the second row. Installing it was easy, and I was able to move the passenger seat up far enough that he couldn’t kick it even …
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