Volvo has revealed the new V90 Cross Country, a car that taps into 20 years of the Cross Country brand, Volvo’s off-road capable wagon.
This latest Cross Country will get a 65mm (2.5 inch) bump in ride height compared to the regular V90, giving it a total of 210mm (8.2 inches) of ground clearance,
The V90 Cross Country also gets a BorgWarner Gen 5 all-wheel-drive system, capable of sending up to 50% of the power to the back wheels. The system also always sends power to all wheels when it starts from a stop, to provide the best acceleration possible.
Apart from the height, the Cross Country’s distinguishing visual feature will be the plastic cladding around the wheel arches. It will also feature tires specially designed for the car’s off-road capabilities.
The four-wheel-drive system will work in conjunction with an off-road driving mode that’s only available on the Cross Country and the XC90.
“We were very careful from the very beginning to ensure that the Cross Country concept was not just an exercise in rugged styling,” says Dr Peter Mertens, Volvo’s Senior VP, in a statement. “We placed high demands on real-world capability, and as we developed the segment we added the comfort and convenience elements that Volvo drivers have come to expect.”
Despite that capability, though, the V90 Cross Country won’t give up on a luxurious interior.
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The V90 Cross Country “will continue the genuine tradition of the Volvo Cross Country with a new recipe: The blend of powerful off-road capability in a most elegant, sophisticated, tailored wagon suit,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Cars, in a press release.
The V90 Cross Country will come with two four-cylinder gas engines, and two four-cylinder diesels. These will produce between 190hp and 320hp. They can send power through a six speed manual or an eight speed automatic gearbox. No word yet on which of these will be available in America, but the chances of seeing a diesel on this side of the Atlantic are poor.
Production is set to begin this fall at Volvo’s Torslanda Plant in Sweden.
