The V60 Cross Country is the raised version of the company's familiar V60 wagon. Redesigned in 2018, the V60 Cross Country bridges the gap between the V60 and the XC60. It's not as big as the latter, but it adds some off-road capability on top of the V60's wagon-style utility.

Unveiled only a few months after the S60 sedan and V60 wagon, the V60 Cross Country comes to the U.S. to take on the Audi A4 Allroad. Sure, it will be sold in Europe as well, but wagons are a much bigger deal in North America where most of them have been replaced by crossovers. It will be an interesting battle as the V60 is now more upscale than ever and its tech package is on par, or even above in some departments, with what the Germans have to offer. How does it compare to the Audi A4 Allroad? Find out in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Volvo V60 Cross Country.

Exterior

Not surprisingly, the V60 Cross Country looks surprisingly familiar. I'm split between "V60 wagon on stilts" and "shrunken V90 Cross Country," but I'm going with the former as the V90 has notably different bumpers.

For reference, the V60 has chrome slats instead.

Down below, Volvo made some changes to the side vents, which no longer feature five horizontal bars. Instead, the fake vent has a nearly flat cover that integrates an LED foglight. The center outlet appears to be identical, but the apron ends with a thick plastic guard for that rugged, SUV-specific look.

Onto the sides, the black cladding in the bumper extends around the front wheel arches, over the side sills, and continues toward the back, wrapping the rear wheel arches as well. Volvo also added larger wheels and bigger side mirrors and increased the ground clearance compared to the regular V60. Specifically, the Cross Country model sits 75 mm (almost three inches) higher thanks to the specially developed suspension for enhanced off-road capability.

The tailgate, the roof spoiler, and the taillights are all the same, but I'm glad about that because the V60 is one sexy wagon. The Cross Country stands out just below the tailgate by means of thick, black cladding that trickles down from the wheel arches, a chrome protection plate instead of a diffuser, and a quad-exhaust pipe layout.

Interior

Again, this is good news, as the V60 is pretty much a shrunken V90 with all the cool features and the state-of-the-art tech found in the flagship wagon.

We can see the same vertically oriented infotainment display flanked by vertical A/C vents, thick aluminum trim that descends at the corners to run below the square vents, and the clean but wide center console. While the latter seems a bit too sturdy for the wagon, it feels just right knowing that the Cross Country can explore the rough terrain. Just in case you need that extra elbow room when going forward gets rough.

Both the center stack and console layouts are identical to the V60, which in turn are based on the flagship S90 sedan. Controls outside the infotainment system are limited to a thin stripe below the display and a start button near the gear shifter, which makes the whole layout look clean and modern.

I can't see the unique black and white design that gives the V60 a vintage vibe, but you should find it on the options list when the Cross Country goes on sale. Tech-wise, the crossover gets all the niceties found in the bigger Volvos. The state-of-the-art Sensus infotainment system is fully compatible with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and 4G and it's controlled via the same intuitive tablet-style touchscreen that combines car functions, navigation, connected services, and entertainment apps.

There's no specific info on passenger room, but the Cross Country should have the same amount of space as the wagon, but we don't now much about the wagon either. The little info that's available talks about a 60/40 split rear backrest that folds down at the push of a button and features like a storage area under the floor, four shopping bag hooks, and load securing tie-downs.

*** Cargo space grows to 1,441 liters (50.9 cubic feet) when the seats are folded flat ***

But Volvo did say that the Cross Country can swallow just as much luggage as the V60 wagon. Specifically, the trunk's capacity is rated at 529 liters (18.7 cubic feet) with the rear seat up and it grows to 1,441 liters (50.9 cubic feet) when the seats are folded flat. Compared to the Audi A4 Allroad, the Cross Country offers an extra 19 liters (0.7 cubic feet) with the rear seats up, but falls behind by a whopping 69 liters (2.4 cubic feet) with the seatbacks folded. But it beats non-raised competitors like the BMW 3 Series Touring and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate.

The power-operated tailgate is standard, so you can open or close the tailgate using a button on the car's remote control, tailgate, or dashboard.

Drivetrain

Volvo was rather brief here as well. While it confirmed that the British market will get the D4 engine at launch, the photos show a model with the T5 badge on the tailgate. But despite the lack of complete information, it's safe to assume that Volvo will offer the Cross Country with the same engines as the V60. Specifically, expect it to arrive with three gasoline engines, three diesels, and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The former generates 254 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, while the latter, which is both turbocharged and supercharged, cranks out 360 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of twist. The entry-level T4, rated at 190 horsepower and 260 pound-feet, should become available in Europe and other markets.

Moving over to diesels, the range will begin with the D3, rated at 150 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. The range-topping D5 engine, which produces 235 horsepower and 350 pound-feet, has yet to be confirmed for the V60, but it could make it in the cross country.

As far as hybrids go, Volvo introduced a new T6 Hybrid with 340 horsepower. That's a bit less powerful than the already familiar T8 Hybrid, which generates a solid 390 horsepower. Both drivetrains pair a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a 60-kW electric motor. Chances are the Cross Country will feature both, just like the regular V60.

All engines mate to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Don't expect to find diesels in U.S. showrooms at first.

Safety

The Cross Country borrows all of its safety features from the V60, which in turns has the same systems as the big V90. The latter detects vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and large animals and it’s always active at speeds above 4 km/h (2.5 mph).

Options should include Blind Spot Information, Rear Collision Warning, Cross Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Pilot Assist, Distance Alert, Park Assist Pilot and a 360-degree camera.

Just like the bigger Volvos, the V60 Cross Country will be a semi-autonomous vehicle thanks to Volvo’s new Pilot Assist feature. When activated, the system controls acceleration, braking, and steering in order to help the driver follow the traffic flow within the current lane. It also reduces driver strain and increases safety by keeping a safe speed and distance compared to other vehicles in the same lane.

Pricing

The V60 Cross Country has yet to make it to the U.S., but the raised wagon starts from £38,270 in the United Kingdom. There's only one trim available, but some options will send you into £45,000 territory. The vehicle is available to order as we speak, but deliveries to customers are expected to start during the first quarter of 2019.

Competition

Audi A4 Allroad

The V60 competes against wagon versions of popular compact cars like the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Audi A4 Avant, so the Cross Country model would go against mild off-road versions of these vehicles. Unfortunately, BMW and Mercedes-Benz don't offer such models yet, although the latter is actually working on the C-Class All-Terrain as we speak. This leaves only the Audi A4 Allroad as a competitor for the Volvo's new perched-up wagon.

Based on the latest A4, the Allroad has everything it needs to go against the V60 Cross Country. It looks sporty, it has a premium interior with the latest tech, and boasts a roomy trunk for those long trips. It's also plenty powerful thanks to a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that cranks out 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of twist. Unfortunately, this is the only drivetrain option you have, and Audi won't offer a hybrid anytime soon. Pricing for the A4 Allroad starts from $44,500 for the base Premium trim, while the more upscale Prestige version comes in at $53,000 before options.

Read our full review on the 2018 Audi A4 Allroad

Final Thoughts

The V60 Cross Country is a rather new vehicle in the lineup, as Volvo introduced it only three years ago, toward the en dof the first-gen wagon's life-cycle. Audi, for instance, had a six-year head start, having introduced the A4 Allroad all the way back in 2009. But while it's significantly newer and had to tackle a market already dominated by the German car, the V60 Cross Country gained a lot of praise for its comfortable interior and spacious trunk. On the other, the old engine made driving the car a dull experience and the old infotainment system lacked smartphone integration and other key features. The new generation fixes both issues and combined with the more appealing exterior and the gorgeous interior; the new V60 Cross Country finally has what it takes to give the Audi A4 Allroad a run for its money.

Further reading

Read our full review of the 2019 Volvo V60.

Read our full review on the 2019 Volvo V60 R-Design.

Read our full review on the 2019 Volvo S60.