In the early 2000s, Indian market got bombarded by the station waggons. Cars like Baleno Altura, Octavia Combi, and Indigo Marina launched in the market, but none of them became popular enough to kick-start a new segment in the country. Now the cars are slowly making a comeback. The latest entrant in the station waggon segment is the Volvo V90 Cross Country. The top-of-the-line Cross Country avatar of Volvo has been finally launched in India, and it looks nothing less than stunning. Is the new Volvo good enough to kick-start the station waggon culture in India? Read on.
Looks
The Volvo V90 is the hatchback/station waggon form of the S90 sedan. It is exceptionally long, and Volvo has done a good job for making the car look good by keeping it simple yet adding some classy flavours to it. The long body with low roofline makes the V90 Cross Country a stunner. The car gets adaptive LED lamps that bend on the corners. There are signature Thor’s hammer DRLs that give it a unique yet familiar Volvo look. The Volvo V90 CC comes with 210mm of ground clearance, and it rides on 20-inch 10-spoke wheels that make the vehicle loo hard to resist a second look.
Interiors
The Volvo V90 Cross Country has some expensive furniture inside. To start with, there is a new steering wheel with paddle shifters. The cabin is mostly made up of brushed aluminium instead of wood. The aluminium has been used to give it a rugged look than the luxurious feeling of wood.
The V90 Cross Country gets the same orthopaedic-developed seats that come in S90 and the XC90. The driver and the front passenger get massage function too. It offers various types and intensity of massage programs.
The car gets a 19-speaker system from Bowers and Wilkins which is just incredible. The V90 Cross Country has a minimalistic design, and yet it drips of luxury. Something that only the Swedish manufacturer can offer.
Other features include adaptive cruise control that can maintain the distance on the highway from the car in front without any driver’s intervention.
Images Courtesy : Shantonil
Engine and drive:
Volvo puts the same 2.0-litre D5 4-cylinder engine that comes with the S90 and the XC90. The turbocharged diesel engine produces a maximum of 232 Bhp at 4,000 rpm. The torque maximises at 480 Nm from 1,750 rpm to 2,250 rpm. It can reach a top speed of 224 km/h and can do 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds. The engine is extremely refined and comes with 8-speed automatic gearbox.
The V90 Cross Country gets paddle shifters, but it is not meant to be thrown around the corners. It has a limited amount of body-roll, and the cabin becomes extremely uncomfortable if the car takes a corner at high-speed.
Should you buy one?
It is sophisticated and for mature buyers. Not everyone will appreciate a Volvo, a car which is known for its safety. The V90 Cross Country is the perfect mash-up of the XC90 and the S90. It is the best of both worlds and is an immensely practical vehicle. Volvo is expected to launch the V90 CC at around Rs. 80 lakh. It sure is a different car that the market may appreciate and but because of its practical space and attractive styling.
