Volvo V90 Cross Country review

The Volvo V90 Cross Country is a rare breed – one of the few off-road-oriented estates currently available. It’s essentially a more rugged version of the conventional V90 estate, but it has a proper off-road pedigree. 

Why’s that? Well, Volvo was the first manufacturer to launch a 'jacked-up estate car' at the end of the last century (crikey, how long ago does that sound?). That was the Volvo V70 XC and it came along just prior to full-fat SUVs becoming as prolific as potatoes.

It should be 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 comes as standard to improve traction on poor surfaces, there’s 65mm more ground clearance (above the regular Volvo V90) to stop you bottoming out over rougher ground, and Volvo has added extra drive modes so you can tailor the V90 Cross Country’s driving characteristics to the terrain you’re on.

Some mid-life updates to keep it fresh meant the Volvo V90 Cross Country, along with the regular V90, received restyled bumpers, new foglights, LED tail lights with sequential sweeping indicators and a mildly refreshed interior.

More importantly, though, it gained a range of new engines with mild-hybrid technology and a load more equipment. So, if you want 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.

Is it better than the Audi A6 Allroad quattro, or a regular BMW 5 Series Touring or Mercedes E-Class Estate though? Read on through this Volvo V90 Cross Country review for our full assessment, and to see whether it’s worth putting on your wish list.

Whichever make and model of car you do decide to buy, make sure you head over to the free What Car? New Car Buying pages to see how much you could save, including some great new Volvo deals.