Zander Drives Cars

In the year of our lord 2024, Volvo is a fully hybrid and electric brand. Every car has a plug-in option, and with the arrival of the upcoming EX30 and EX90 models, it will feature four fully electric models in the brand’s lineup. But, buried within the catalog lays the V60 Cross Country. This, along with the larger V90 Cross Country are the only cars available as internal combustion only. While this is a win for ICE purists, it feels like the car’s biggest letdown.

The Exterior

Volvo is still in an elite echelon of brands that don’t have a bad-looking car in the lineup. The regular V60 wagon, of which only the Polestar version is sold stateside, looks great, and the lifted version can still carry its weight. It isn’t as graceful as the standard wagon, but compared to the last generation Cross Country, this looks much classier. But, it isn’t all good news. Like most cars with plastic cladding, brighter colors don’t exactly work; and this Silver Dawn color cheapens the exterior more than a darker blue or black would.

The Interior

Physically, the interior of the CC (that’s what I’m calling it now) is a great place to be. The chiropractor-choice seats are sublimely comfortable, all the materials feel great for the high-50k price point, and while this particular car doesn’t have the excellent Bowers & Wilkins Soundsystem, the Harmon Kardon can pull its own. Rear legroom is also pretty solid for someone who is 6’2. Not amazing, but I’m not mad at it. Plus, because it’s a Volvo, you do have a couple little gimmicks that actually for once do add to the car, like the clip on the windshield for parking tickets or pens, and a tiny little Swedish flag tag on the sides of the front seats.

That being said, this interior is starting to feel its age just a bit. I mentioned this when I drove the XC60 Polestar last year, but the center console’s lack of easily accessible USB-C ports and no wireless charging reminds you that this product is starting to near the end of its life cycle.

The Screens

After driving half of Volvo’s fleet, I have finally run into screen problems. Well, when I mean “problems,” I just mean the screen was slow. I’ve had people yelling at me about these problems for years now, and I guess my luck with their screens has run out. As I said earlier, some things in this car are starting to show their age, and the software on the center screen is one of them. However, when the center screen works smoothly, it is one of the better-optimized systems out there. HVAC controls on the bottom of the screen are easily accessible and very touch-accurate, and the nav/media player dual set-up is where it’s at. Everything you need is right there and you don’t really have to screw with it,

The driver’s screen on the other hand, while no issues to report there, does feel slightly lacking in customization. Yes, you can have your map or media playing, but there aren’t any options for changing the design or layout of the gauges like in the V60s German counterparts. A small thing to be miffed by, but at this price point, it is worth pointing out.

The Features

This CC is in the “Ultimate” trim, which means, aside from the standard stuff we’ll get to in a minute, it comes with such niceties as a heads-up display, four-zone climate control, more customizable front seats with ventilation, some upgraded wood, and an Orrefors glass gear shifter which can be found on most upper-echelon Volvo models.

As for standard equipment, the CC comes with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wired CarPlay and Android Auto, a Harmon Kardin Soundsystem (B&O is optional and much, much better), USB-A and C ports, a panoramic sunroof, a BLIS system, lane keep assist, collision avoidance and mitigation systems with forward collision warning, and more airbags than Nick Cannon has children.

For a $54,000 car this is about the levels of equipment you would expect to find, but, as thrown around a couple paragraphs earlier, the lack of wireless CarPlay or wireless charging is a swing and a miss.

The Drive

The Volvo V60 Cross Country is powered by a 2.0l 4-cylinder engine equipped with a very, very mild hybrid system (a 48-volt battery that basically gives you regenerative breaking), producing 247 hp (down 3 hp from 2022) and 258 lb-ft of torque. This power is sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic and gets this car from 0-60 in 7 seconds flat. Not super athletic. And it isn’t even super fuel efficient either, with fuel ratings at 24 City, 31 Highway, and 27 combined.

I kept having to tell myself that this car wasn’t supposed to be an enthusiast car. You know, all car people think wagons are supposed to be sporty, but this isn’t. The acceleration is linear yet un-exciting, the ride is firm yet abnormally comfortable, and it handles just like any non-lifted S/V60. So, congratulations on that, Volvo. I kept expecting more from this car, I missed that hybridized kick you get from the S60 or XC60 re-charge. There’s nothing offensive about the way this car drives, but compared to other Volvos with very similar roles, it felt completely vanilla.

In The End…

Here’s the thing: I know this isn’t meant to be a performance car. I’m not asking for 450 hp and a 3-second 0-60 time, but when Volvo has access to an amazing plug-in hybrid system that every other S/V60 gets to use, this car becomes both underpowered and disadvantaged against other cars in the fleet, especially the XC60. It’s a premium commuter, and I can’t really be mad about it. The Audi A4 Allroad is the same thing. But, the addition of a few extra horses and a few extra MPG would be crucial. I know this car is a niche product, but so, so much more can be extracted from it.

So, is this a good buy? If you’re hellbent on getting a brand new V60 in the United States, you’ll like this car. But if you’re looking for efficiency, some extra power, and the same amount of space, I’m sorry car enthusiast, but the XC60 re-charge is the better option.

Thank you to the folks at Koons Volvo Whitemarsh for letting me come down and drive this V60 CC. They have a great selection of new and pre-owned Volvo models, including a rotating amount of Polestar Engineered vehicles. Click here to view their inventory.