After the second generation of the XC90, the Volvo Scalable Product Architecture was adapted to suit the S90 sedan and V90 station wagon. Now, however, the fourth model to be based on the unibody platform has been confirmed. Ladies and gents, the 2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country is nearing its debut date.
Everything we know for sure about the V90 Cross Country is that it will be revealed in “mid-September,” which means that next week we’ll see it undressed of all its secrets. As it’s the case with every other Cross Country-ified Volvo, this model is an all-roader, not an all-out off-roader.
When you hear all-roader, think Audi A6 allroad. Better still, it’s more appropriate to refer to the soon-to-debut Volvo V90 Cross Country as being the successor of the V70 XC / XC70 (1997 - 2007) and the XC70 (2007 - 2016). However, there’s something that needs to be mentioned.
Instead of the old-school boxy-shaped family wagon with all-wheel-drive, the V90 Cross Country will boast a very steeply raked tailgate. In other words, don’t expect cargo capacity to better or mirror that of the XC70. But what you lose in trunk space you earn in legroom, looks, gadgets, and efficiency.
“We were very careful from the very beginning to ensure that the Cross Country concept was not just an exercise in rugged styling,” explained Peter Mertens, Volvo senior vice president of R&D. “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.”
Aside from the obligatory exterior cladding and high ground clearance, the 2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country will be pretty much the same car the V90 is. The spy photographs in the adjacent gallery are testament to that. On the oily bits front, only the top-of-the-line engines in the V90 range will be available.
Hence, we’re expecting the 2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country to arrive in three flavors: D5 AWD (235 PS), T5 AWD (320 PS), and T8 Twin-Engine AWD (408 PS). Regardless of what lurks under the hood, an Aisin-developed 8-speed automatic transmission will do the shifting in your stead.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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