Paris show: Volvo outs V90 Cross Country soft-roader

VOLVO Cars has revealed its rugged V90 Cross Country wagon ahead of its Paris motor show debut next week and its arrival in Australian showrooms in the first half of next year.

Based on the V90 – the wagon version of Volvo’s S90 luxury sedan – the Cross Country features a jacked-up ride height with revised lower body moulding to protect the underbody from off-road perils.

Other tweaks in Volvo’s new ruggedised wagon include all-wheel drive as standard and a rear bumper stamped with the words ‘Cross Country’ to denote its off-road ability.

Volvo Car Australia managing director Kevin McCann said the local appetite for go-anywhere Volvos would be satisfied with the V90 Cross Country.

“Australian’s have openly displayed their appreciation of the Volvo Cross Country over the years, with the vehicle’s go anywhere capability whilst looking the part in any environment,” he said.

“We see this trait continuing with the new V90 Cross Country.” The Swedish car-maker says its V90 Cross Country has undergone rigorous cold weather testing “where temperatures regularly hit -40 degrees centigrade”, as well as hot weather testing in the “searing desert heat of Arizona” to ensure it has been “built to last”.

Volvo Cars senior vice-president of research and development Peter Mertens said its latest model adheres to the high standards set by other Volvo vehicles and adds a dose of go-anywhere ability.

“Our cars are well known for their safety, strength and durability,” he said. “With all-wheel drive, increased ride height and a chassis optimised for comfort and control in all weather and road conditions, the new V90 Cross Country takes our versatile V90 estate and adds the heart of an explorer.” The V90 Cross Country retains the same interior as its V90 and S90 siblings, adorned with leather and soft-touch points throughout, as well as a large vertically-mounted centre touchscreen to control connectivity, satellite navigation, climate controls and vehicle options, and a Bowers & Wilkins sound system.

Volvo Cars senior vice president of design Thomas Ingenlath said the V90 Cross Country retains the same level of comfort and refinement as its road-orientated V90 and S90 relatives.

“Designing a Volvo Cross Country is not a styling exercise, a plastic job,” he said. “It is based on honest capability.

“The Volvo V90 Cross Country brings a surprising and intriguing combination of a strong, powerful exterior and a luxurious, Scandinavian interior.

“It will continue the genuine tradition of the Volvo Cross Country recipe: the blend of powerful off-road capability in a most elegant, sophisticated, tailored wagon suit.” While engine options were not revealed, the V90 Cross Country will likely utilise the same 235kW/400Nm 2.0-litre twin-charged inline four-cylinder petrol and 173kW/480Nm 2.0-litre turbo four diesel as its all-wheel-drive S90 and V90 stablemates.