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Ken Gratton5 Dec 2017
REVIEW

Volvo V90 Cross Country 2017 Review

Volvo's off-road wagon shows the Audi A6 Allroad a clean pair of heels for refinement and presentation
Model Tested
Volvo V90 Cross Country D5 Inscription
Review Type
Road Test

The high-riding Volvo V90 Cross Country has quietly slipped into the Australian market, providing the Swedish brand an alternative to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain and the Audi A6 Allroad. Like the German duo, the V90 Cross Country is a conventional wagon – not an SUV per se – with diesel power and all-paw traction for a modicum of off-road use. Just below $100,000 (plus on-road costs), it undercuts both rivals on price and features all Volvo’s best traits.

Nestled in the engine bay of the Volvo V90 Cross Country is a remarkable four-cylinder diesel powerplant. It produces more power and nearly as much torque as the 160kW 3.0-litre V6 diesel in the Audi A6 Allroad.

But the Volvo delivers its urge with less vibration than the Audi V6; and the four-cylinder engine is distinctly sporty and responsive by the standards of other diesel fours. It will pull strongly right up to the redline, which is just shy of 5000rpm. And the engine is also well matched to the eight-speed automatic transmission. In fact, the pairing is so good – from a driving viewpoint – you almost wish for shift paddles.

At open-road speeds the V90 Cross Country is very quiet indeed, with the faintest rumble from the powertrain when the engine's ticking over at 1600rpm for 100km/h. There's a little wind noise (but not much) and the road noise is also very subdued.

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Fuel consumption for the week was 8.6L/100km, which was better than the A6 Allroad I tested a couple of years ago, and more or less in line with the difference in displacement. The engine's economy was helped by the idle-stop system, which is something Volvo does really well. Restarts are fast and super-smooth – by any standard, not just when compared with other four-cylinder diesels.

Away from the freeway, the Volvo V90 Cross Country’s steering feels very light and there's not a lot of self-centring apparent at low speeds. As road speed increases there's more weight and feel evident.

At touring speeds it feels better to drive generally, with more responsive turn-in and straight-line stability. The V90 can be hurled into corners at speeds which, if mentioned in a pub conversation, would seem implausible. This is a fairly high-riding wagon theoretically designed to go off-road, but it's a surprisingly capable and consistent handler on bitumen, with impressive levels of grip.

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I didn't take the V90 bush, out of concern for the Volvo's breakover angle given its long wheelbase, so that aspect of its design remains unassessed.

What may put off some V90 buyers is the ride quality. It's firmer than you might anticipate from a Volvo, but it pitches over speed humps and the dampers don't quell things immediately.

Inside, the V90 Cross Country provides nicely shaped seats with plenty of power adjustment - you can tighten up the side bolstering, extend the seat base and raise the lumbar support. The cushioning is firm, the seats in their default state are well shaped, and you can improve on that with the different levels of adjustment. Kudos to Volvo also for the seat heating/cooling.

Equally important, the steering wheel and pedals are placed appropriately for an ergonomically efficient driving position.

Acclimatising to the controls and instruments takes a little while. The major instruments are very easy to read at a glance and most of the controls are located where they should be and are easy to use.

I actually like the starter knob (or dial, whatever you would call it). It's a cube with the edges rounded off, so it's easy to grip between thumb and forefinger, and there are clear markings to indicate the user should turn the knob clockwise for starting, anti-clockwise for stopping. Located in the centre console it's out of harm's way in the event of a crash.

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There's a head-up display which can be adjusted via the infotainment system to suit drivers of different heights. Unfortunately, as is the case with other such systems, it can't penetrate the polarised lenses of sunglasses. Nor could the flashing visual alert, also reflected in the windscreen when the vehicle's forward collision warning was triggered. Typically, that was triggered by a vehicle ahead making a left-hand turn. In addition to the visual alert, the system sounded an audible alarm. Unfortunately, like counterparts in other Volvo cars, there is no subtlety about the warning system – it's loud, grating and hard to ignore.

As standard, the V90 comes equipped with auto wipers and intelligent high-beam headlights. The button for the auto wipers is a flush-fitting unit integrated with the wiper stalk. It's marked by an icon, but isn't conspicuously a control in itself, so it took me perusing the owners’ manual (which can be viewed through the infotainment system), to work that out – and also how to keep the auto wipers enabled for the next time you start the engine.

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Pricing and Features

The headlights shine nice and bright, even on low beam. Being adaptive, they do shift the beam back and forth to cover darker sections of road in corners and up or down hill. Set to dip automatically for the approach of an oncoming car, they worked fairly well, but didn't always select low beam in built-up areas with street lighting. I also noted that they didn't dip immediately for another car if the other was not quite directly ahead – cornering for example.

As for semi-autonomous driving, Volvo provides two different modes. One is a straight-forward adaptive cruise-control system, the other is Volvo's Pilot Assist, which also handles the steering. To shift between these modes, you use the left and right-arrow buttons on the left spoke of the steering wheel.

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Pilot Assist is a little out of its depth on Aussie country roads. At times you feel like you're fighting the steering wheel, and on one occasion the lane departure warning was activated (manifested as vibrations felt through the wheel) when Pilot Assist steered the V90 across a solid painted line into a bus lane.

The V90 also veers from left to right in the lane, apparently unable to track straight and true while searching for the line markings on either side.

While the V90 is generally competent at picking out those line markings on the road – and certainly much better than similar systems from four or five years ago – Pilot Assist won't always follow the road unerringly. A green steering wheel graphic in the lower left corner of the instrument binnacle informs the driver when the system has locked on to the line markings and is steering the car autonomously. If it can't find the line markings, the steering wheel graphic is greyed out.

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On more than one occasion, the V90 was telling me Pilot Assist was operating to specification, only to cross over the double white lines in the centre of the road on a left-hand bend. The technology still has a way to go yet...

Yet, for all that, Pilot Assist genuinely alleviates effort when it's working correctly.

Ventilation in the front seats supplements the climate control to good effect and works wonders on those hot days when you've chosen the polyester shirt. It stops you sticking to the seat.

For those seated aft, there are adjustable vents and climate control switchgear in the rear of the centre console plus additional vents in the B pillars. Headroom and knee room in the rear suits adults, although there's not a lot of room to stretch out and the space under the front seats is light on for wriggling toes.

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A ski-port allows through-loading from the boot and the rear seats fold flat for added cargo carrying. Mitigating against hard-core off-road driving is the space-saver spare under the boot floor, which can be propped up by struts. Naturally, the tailgate is powered.

As a package, the V90 Cross Country is quite practical, comfortable and quiet. Fit and finish is beyond reproach and the overall presentation is very pleasing to the eye. Soft materials, a black dashboard top, the jewelled-look starter knob and the illuminated scuff plates all add to the interior's sense of occasion. On the practical side, there are useful cupholders in the centre console, along with a cradle for smartphones over the auxiliary power outlet. It's function and form working in tandem.

But what will likely distinguish the Volvo from competitors is the depth of electronic gadgetry which can be accessed through the infotainment system. Essentially the touch screen works much like a smartphone's screen. A finger swipe back and forth will display three screens alternately. The far left screen is full of infotainment functions – mostly music sources, internet apps, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but also including Car Status, Driver Performance and a Download Centre.

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As the default screen on start-up, the main menu between the other two screens bundles up navigation, music, phone and fuel consumption functions for easy access from large-format icons. One swipe of that screen to the left reveals the 'right' screen, which features different vehicle operations and modes, such as: Eco driving mode, Hill Descent Control, Stability control disable, lane keeping aid, park assist, cross traffic alert, automated parking, cameras and head-up display adjustment. In addition, this screen allows the driver to enable/disable idle-stop or set the distance alert.

At the base of the touch screen are touch-operated controls for seat heating/cooling and the wider climate control functions, including 'auto', 'synch' and 'clean zone'.

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While all of this does make sense, it is initially confronting after a diet of German prestige brands – all with generally the same way of putting drivers in touch with different infotainment options. Where a single-point controller would be located in an E-Class, A6 or BMW 5 Series, the V90 has the starter knob. It's left to swiping the screen to achieve the same or similar functions using the single-point controller in competitive cars, and that can be literally hit or miss when trying to stab a temperature setting on a bumpy road.

Yet another way in which the V90 doesn't conform is its key – a large, chunky device with tiny little buttons along its edge on one side, for locking, unlocking and operating the powered tailgate.

All of this points to Volvo's strategy for tackling the Germans at their own game – being different. It's too early to say whether this is a strategy which will pay dividends, but owners who can overcome the 'future shock' of advanced technology applied to ergonomics will find the V90 a welcome newcomer to the Australian market.

2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country D5 Inscription pricing and specifications:
Price: $99,900 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder
Output: 173kW/480Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 149g/km
Safety Rating: TBA

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Written byKen Gratton
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
75/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
16/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
14/20
Safety & Technology
17/20
Behind The Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
13/20
Pros
  • Quiet, composed touring
  • Interior appointments
  • Excellent powertrain
Cons
  • Pilot Assist struggles on country roads
  • Infotainment gadgets are puzzling
  • Ride comfort could be better
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