The Volvo V60 Cross Country is officially a wagon, but with its taller, almost coupe-like proportions, it could have been re-designated a crossover.
Few manufacturers have had their image more closely tied to the station wagon, even though Volvo went awhile without offering one in the U.S. market – and probably for good reason considering the limited demand for that seemingly out-of-date body style.
Significantly, when the Swedish maker’s turn in the spotlight came at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show, it put the focus on the new XC90 sport-utility vehicle it will launch next year. But there was another model sharing the stage, and it harkens more closely to Volvo’s roots.
The Volvo V60 Cross Country is officially being called a wagon, but with its taller, almost coupe-like proportions, it could just as easily have been re-designated a crossover. It certainly has a silhouette similar to other European CUVs, such as the BMW X1.
But wagon it is, said Joe Haslem, the vehicle’s marketing manager – though he adds that Volvo is hoping that the vehicle can find its own unique niche.
The Volvo V60 Cross Country wagon is expected to raise the bar on what one can expect from a wagon.
The Cross Country wagon – not to be confused with Volvo’s XC sport-ute line – sits several inches higher than a stock V60 wagon, and it gets more pronounced wheel flares, as well as front and rear skid plates. The suspension has also been “beefed-up for off-road,” according to Haslem.
It’s powered by a 2.5-liter inline-four engine that makes 250-horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. It will be sold only with an all-wheel-drive configuration.
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In fact, part of the strategy is to market the V60 Cross Country as a high-line package, adding virtually every option normally available for the standard V60 wagon. It will be Volvo’s first model to come with standard navigation, for example. It also gets 18-inch wheels and sportier contour seats.
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“We’re targeting where we did well with the old XC70 in the past,” said the marketing manager, adding that Volvo has not fully determined what the potential demand will be because the Cross Country wagon will be “playing in a gray area.”
There are a few other entrants into that zone, including the Audi Allroad and the upcoming Volkswagen All-Cross. Nonetheless, Volvo is erring on the side of caution, at least initially, forecasting modest volumes, perhaps 3,000 annually.
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In fact, there will initially be a “very regionalized” rollout of the new model focusing on the Northeast and Northwest.
Volvo will bring in the new V60 Cross Country at a starting price of around $41,000 plus destination charges. It’s expected to start trickling into showrooms in January, with increased availability by the following month.