Volvo V60 Cross Country (2013-2018) Review and Prices

The Volvo V60 Cross Country is a mid-size estate car with beefier looks and a taller ride than the regular estate car that is based upon. The Cross Country doesn’t have many rivals – only the more expensive Audi A6 Allroad, the cheaper Skoda Octavia Scout and the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack that costs about the same.

The V60 Cross Country cabin is very similar to the regular V60’s and as a result it’s a nice place to spend time. The Audi A6 Allroad has the more premium (and better finished) cabin, but the V60 Cross Country gets close and its floating centre console gives the car its own unique character, as well as freeing up space for an additional storage area. Some of the good work is undone by a confusing array of small buttons that are tricky to operate on the move.

The V60 Cross Country asks for a hefty premium over the regular V60, but is still cheaper than the A6 Allroad. Base equipment is reasonable, with Volvo’s emergency city braking and a high-tech infotainment system coming as standard.

In the front there’s plenty of space and a wide range of adjustment makes it easy to get comfortable behind the wheel. It’s not the same story in the back, though, where the sloping roofline eats into rear passenger’s headroom. Anyone over six foot tall will find there head’s a bit cramped, but there’s plenty of knee room. Volvo’s seats are known for their comfort – they seem to offer support in all the right places and you often leave the car with less aches and pains than you had when you got in.

Boot space is unchanged from the regular V60 meaning you get 430 litres with the seats up, expanding to 1,241 litres with the rear seats folded down. Even though that is a decent capacity, the Skoda Superb is cheaper to buy and offers 633 and 2,000 litres respectively.

Much more sleek than previous Volvo estates, with clever safety systems, comfortable seats and a nice sound from the five-cylinder diesel

Bigger tyres and more suspension travel than the regular V60 equate to a more here the Volvo really feels at home is on the motorway – it’s extremely quiet and the suspension does a great job of gliding over bumps.

Like the S60 Cross Country the V60 Cross Country can be ordered in two as well as four-wheel-drive form. Unlike the S60 Cross Country, it gets more engine choices. There’s the old, but proven 2.4-litre five-cylinder 190hp diesel called the D5 and the newly developed 2.0-litre four-cylinder available in two power levels – the 150hp D3 and 190hp D4.

The five-cylinder has a pleasing soundtrack, but is dated when compared to the newer Drive-E engines. It returns fuel economy of 49.6mpg and emits 149g/km of CO2.

The four-cylinder engines are more frugal with the D3 able to return 67.3mpg. The 7.2 seconds it takes the D4 to accelerate to 62mph means its decently quick too.

There is a choice between a six-speed manual and a new eight-speed automatic. While the manual has an easy and precise shift, the auto is much less hassle in traffic.