The Review Garage

by Jason Fogelson

Gothenburg, Sweden is at 57.7 degrees north of the equator, just 7.8 degrees below the Arctic Circle. It also happens to be the hometown of Volvo – and those two facts are closely related to my review of the 2020 Volvo V90 T6 AWD Cross Country.

I live in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan (42.3 degrees north of the equator), an area famous for its winter weather. Most winter nights have freezing temperatures, which means that a car that sits outside collects a heavy coating of frost and the interior can be downright frigid when morning hits.

The V90 has the best defrosting and quick warming system I’ve found to date. The wagon’s heated front seats (standard) and optional ($425) heated rear seats start providing warmth in minutes, while the assertive front and rear defrosters attack the ice on the glass in a hurry. Winter weather features have got to be important to the folks in Sweden, and they’ve got them down to an art in the V90. Impressive.

This latest V90 variant is a continuation of Volvo’s popular Cross Country trim level, which has been applied to select models over the past few generations. More than just a layer of cladding (which it does have), the Cross Country includes all-wheel drive, a raised ride height and ground clearance, Off-Road mode, front and rear skid plates, exclusive 19-inch wheels, and Black Walnut inlay interior trim pieces. Added to the already sexy and sophisticated full-size four-door V90 wagon, the V90 Cross Country is a great-looking package at the top of the line.

Available only in T6 trim with a 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine (316 hp/295 lb-ft of torque) with an eight-speed automatic transmission, V90 Cross Country is an eager performer (0 – 60 in 6.0 seconds). Double-wishbone front suspension and integral link rear do a great job of smoothing the way in many conditions. Multiple drive modes are available, controlling steering feel, throttle, transmission shift points and other factors. Don’t expect your V90 Cross Country to become a rock crawler when you select Off-Road mode – but prepare to be impressed with its stability on dirt roads and trails. I’m confident that swapping in a set of winter tires (all-season radials are standard) will make the V90 Cross Country into a great choice for those snowy February Michigan mornings – no SUV required.

In case you missed the memo, wagons are cool. It’s a shame that there are so few to choose from, but there are some very solid choices out there. Whether or not they’re called wagons, I’d include the Subaru Outback, Jaguar XF Sportbrake, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon, Audi A6 allroad and Volkswagen Golf Alltrack– a wide spread, which should also include the compact Volvo V60 Cross Country.

The 2020 Volvo V90 T6 AWD Cross Country starts at $54,550. My test vehicle, which included the Advanced Package ($2,450), Metallic Paint ($645), 20-inch alloy wheels ($800), Bowers and Wilkins Premium Sound ($4,000), heated rear seats ($425), Park Assist Pilot ($200), Premium Air Suspension in rear ($1,200), and a $995 Destination price, came with an as-tested price of $65,265 – definitely luxury territory. But with the included safety and driver assistance features, along with Volvo’s excellent and intuitive Sensus infotainment interface, the price feels about right.

Especially when it’s cold outside, and the prospect of scraping a windshield and sitting down on freezing seats looms in the driveway. Did I mention that Remote Start is included as part of Volvo’s free mobile app?

Sweden knows winter, and the V90 Cross Country Wagon can handle it.

Disclaimer: The manufacturer provided the vehicle used to conduct this test drive and review.

Photos (c) Volvo