Sino-Swedish brand goes crossfit with the Cross Country
Automakers, particularly premium automakers, are going niche in their car manufacturing, with vehicles like the BMW X4 and the Mini Countryman trying to redefine vehicle classifications. Volvo takes a stab at the indefinable with the S60 Cross Country T5.
The Cross Country is what you get when you put a Volvo S60 T5 in a crossfit class for six months and it becomes a more muscular-looking version of itself. Think Linda Hamilton from the “Terminator” transforming into bad ass Linda Hamilton from “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”
The original version of the S60 T5 is a fine car equipped with every safety measure you could imagine and an exterior design that is on par with most luxury sedans in its price range. The Cross Country is powered by the same 2.5-liter, five-cylinder, turbocharged engine from the S60 T5 AWD, making 250 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. The interior has the same Volvo center console we have become accustomed to: a clean panel of controls stretching up and around the gear shifter and ending at a little-too-small infotainment screen, with the odd pass-through that is located next to the driver’s right knee. As for safety, we get the little speed limit sign on the instrument panel that indicates the posted speed limit and flashes when you exceed that limit, lane departure indicator, which is one of the least annoying we’ve heard so far. Lane departure comes with a soft fading pulse that reminds me of the sound effects used in the 1970s series the “Bionic Man” when Steve Austin used any of his bionic limbs, placing it just under Cadillac’s vibrating seat warning system on the likability scale.
2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country
No surprises so far, but the thing that makes the Cross Country unique (at least in 2016 — let’s be honest, the AMC Eagle did this in the 70s) is the 7.9 inches of ground clearance, skid plate and polymer fender flares that make this car Linda Hamilton-“T2”-strong. Sure, you can find plenty of all-wheel-drive sedans, but do they “own” the off-road part of AWD? The Cross Country feels like the result of an Audi Q3 and an Subaru Outback hooking up and having an awesome off-road baby. Don’t worry — unlike most mutant babies, this one looks just as good being valet parked as it does covered in mud.
The ground clearance does give you the ride height of a small SUV, but the suspension does a great job of maintaining its smooth, connected-to-the-road feel even when driving down bumpy roads. On the highway I did notice a little more wind noise than I expected, but that diminished some when I closed the interior panel of the sunroof.
This is a hidden gem — not many people are looking at Volvo these days, and that’s a shame (though it’s also improving, thanks to well-deserved accolades for the new XC90); the S60 Cross Country is all it should be, and if you’re in the market for an Audi Q3/Outback-like baby, this car might just be for you.
— Ken Ross, Creative Director
2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country
OTHER VOICES:
This thing really is the second coming of the AMC Eagle — a bit dated, kind of thirsty, jacked up and fitted with AWD because … why not? Not surprisingly, it works great, too: I drove the S60 CC during a snowstorm in
Detroit and it’s a mountain goat even with all-season rubber. Heated everything makes it a welcome respite in the worst blizzard, and the old turbo five delivers a ton of torque to plow through arctic interstates. Heck, it’s even a decent value compared to what a similar 3-Series with xDrive would cost.If you get one, please install plus-sized snow tires and drive around with them all year long.
— Andrew Stoy, Digital Editor
2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country
Options: heated front seats, heated rear seats, heated windshield, heated steering wheel, heated windshield washer nozzles ($ 1,550); Blind Spot Information System with cross traffic alert, front and rear park assist, lane change merge aid ($ 925); 19-inch wheels ($ 750); urbane wood inlays ($ 400); speed sensitive steering ($ 300)
