Swedish carmaker Volvo has launched the V90 Cross Country at Rs 60 lakh (ex-showroom). It is the first ever estate from the company that has gone on sale in India. It is essentially a toughened-up version of the Volvo V90 (not sold in India), which borrows most of its underpinnings from the Volvo S90. Built on the SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) platform, Volvo says that the V90 Cross Country is engineered to deliver the comfort of a saloon and the practicality of an SUV. Like all its other products on sale in the country, the V90 Cross Country is brought in as a CBU (completely built unit). We’ve driven the car and you can read our first drive review here.
Volvo will sell the V90 Cross Country in its Inscription trim only. It is powered by the D5-spec of Volvo’s 2.0-litre, turbocharged diesel engine. The motor is tuned to produce 235PS of power and 480Nm of torque. Transmission duties are handled by an 8-speed automatic gearbox, which transfers the power to the road via an all-wheel drive system. While the setup is enough to claim a top speed of 230kmph, the massive 210mm ground clearance keeps the estate intact over rough terrains.
Volvo’s philosophy of stuffing its cars with cutting-edge features continues with the V90 Cross Country as well. The most impressive bit is the radar-based safety tech, which surely makes the V90 Cross Country one of the safest cars in the country. Features that make use of this safety net are adaptive cruise control, pilot assist, lane keeping aid and collision mitigation control.
Other features on the estate include 20-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels, LED-powered headlamps (with automatic bending) and taillamps and a powered tailgate with hands-free operation. The list of creature comforts on the inside includes a 19-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system, a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display which is mated to a 12.0-inch driver’s display, electrically adjustable, ventilated front seats with massage functionality and four-zone climate control.
As far as direct rivals are concerned, there aren’t any. However, based on the price alone, we do feel that it will give the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC a run for their money.
