Volvo V90 Cross Country review

Our overall rating:Rated 3 out of 5

The Volvo V90 Cross Country is an unconventional proposition: essentially a more rugged, off-road-oriented version of the conventional V90 estate.

And it has proper off-road pedigree, thanks to a legacy that dates back to 1997 and the launch of the original Volvo V70XC – the car that initiated this phenomenon of jacked-up everyday estates that can venture off-road.

It should be of no surprise, then, that a company with more than 20 years of experience in this sector has produced a car claiming an impressive breadth of abilities both on and off-road. Intelligent four-wheel drive (which comes as standard) generates sure-footed grip in adverse conditions, 65mm of added ground clearance gets you over rougher ground and various drive modes let you to tailor the V90's on and off-road driving characteristics.

So, if you fancy a car to take you across hill, vale and dale but don't fancy an SUV, the V90 Cross Country could be worth a look. But is it better than an Audi A6 Allroad quattro or Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain? Read on for our full assessment of the V90 Cross Country and to see if it’s worth putting on your wish list.