What is the Volvo S60 Cross Country?
CARS.COM — Combine a luxury sedan with a sport sedan, add a dash of SUV and you get the Volvo S60 Cross Country — the product of an automotive identity crisis that asks more questions than it answers. When Volvo announced the Cross Country version of its midsize sedan in January 2015, the automaker called it “the sole contender in the crossover sedan segment” — a segment it apparently just created — and one that doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Related: Volvo Announces 2016 S60 Cross Country
The S60 Cross Country is based on the regular S60 sedan, but it wears more rugged styling cues that don’t play nice with the regular S60’s understated stylishness. Aside from an additional 2.5 inches of ground clearance, distinguishing visual cues include front and rear skid plates, a honeycomb grille, side scuff plates and fender extenders.
Although it looks tougher outside and features standard all-wheel drive, what’s missing is the taller seating position that appeals in a traditional SUV. “I like how characteristics of the S60 sedan remain, like nimble, responsive steering and an overall carlike driving experience, but I wonder if there’s enough crossover SUV qualities here to woo people interested in that kind of vehicle,” said Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley.
It doesn’t impress in terms of ride quality, either, with a firmness that borders on uncomfortable at times. “Off-road packages with big sidewall tires and soft suspensions typically do well in the city absorbing rough roads and potholes, like how well the Subaru XV Crosstrek does, but the S60 still rides on the firm side where even small potholes are intimidating to roll over,” said Cars.com Road Test Editor Joe Bruzek.
It makes even less sense from a value perspective. A regular S60 sedan with the 250-horsepower, 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder in the midlevel T5 AWD Premier trim starts at $39,040 (all prices include destination). The Cross Country comes in just one flavor: the T5 Platinum AWD sedan, which starts at $44,440 and gets power from the same inline five-cylinder. (Volvo dropped the T5 Platinum trim for the 2016 S60; the 2015 S60 T5 Platinum AWD was $41,575.) Not only is the price premium steep, but gas mileage also dips with the Cross Country version. The EPA rates the S60’s 2.5-liter at 20/29 mpg city/highway, but the Cross Country loses 1 mpg on the highway.
Volvo also has a new Cross Country version of its V60 wagon. That model’s go-anywhere styling fits better visually and makes more sense, since wagons are known for utility. Different can sometimes be good — no one wants to drive on roads clogged with gray midsize sedans — but the S60 Cross Country is just plain strange. It’s an answer to a question nobody asked.
