Volvo V90 Cross Country D5 Inscription – Left-Field Swede

By Chad Lückhoff 

It’s no secret that the South African market is not one to fawn over estate vehicles. As such, there are very few, if any offerings locally.

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It’s no secret that the South African market is not one to fawn over estate vehicles (station wagons for the rest of you). As such, there are very few, if any offerings locally. This means that we miss out on practical, spacious cruisers such as the BMW 5 Series touring, the Audi A6 Avant and even the Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate, which briefly appeared on our shores, was silently swept under the rug, never to be seen again. It’s a strange phenomenon, but one that we can surmise that this is due to a.) our appalling road conditions and b.) our preference for larger SUVs. Why, if you require the space, would you buy a spacious car when you can sit higher, see more, and feel more secure in an SUV?

Volvo is a company that manages to offer something in between, and as such, the V90 Cross Country is labeled a crossover, offering the space and shape of a regular estate, but with an increase in ground clearance and ride height. It does this without creating a towering mess of SUV awkwardness.

Swedish Design

Based on the flexible Volvo SPA platform, the V90 Cross Country shares much of its girth, design and trimmings with the S90 executive sedan. Volvo ensures us though that the design process used in the V90 saw them engineer a dedicated crossover, rather than just modifying the existing S90. As such, the V90 strikes a balance between the S and XC90.

The V90 Cross Country sits a full 60mm higher than the S90 and the tyre sidewall height has also been increased by 42mm, allowing for a greater ground clearance and improved versatility. This does favours for the ride comfort when combined with the 2-corner air suspension with auto-leveling at the rear. The compliant ride makes the V90 CC a comfortable cruiser but hampers the handling dynamics, although one would be foolish to think that the Cross Country is a winding road weapon. Secondary ride comfort is mildly compromised by the 19-inch wheels, but one would truly have to be looking for fault as the cabin refinement isolates all but the more aggressive undulations.

Drive is plumbed to all four wheels to take advantage of the improved ride height and clearance, allowing the V90 Cross Country to be take off the beaten path to complement the active lifestyle that the typical buyer would enjoy.

Powering Along

The model on test was the V90 Cross Country D5 AWD Inscription, the most powerful and highest specification diesel offering in this model. The 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine produces 173kW (while the D4 makes only 140kW) with a very respectable 480Nm torque available from as low as 1750 rpm. Despite the 1848kg kerb weight, the D5 has enough shove to get you up to highway speeds and above without a struggle and in a perfectly acceptable time. The twin-turbo engine sees the inclusion of PowerPulse technology where compressed air is fed to the larger of the two turbochargers, helping reduce turbo lag and further aide in efficiency.

This diesel power plant is claimed to return combined cycle figures in the region of 5.3l/100km but real-world application saw these number float around the high 7’s instead. CO2 emissions are tested to be at 139g/km on average.

The 8-speed automatic gearbox is as refined as you’re going to find with unobtrusive shifts both up and down the cogs and only the slightest hesitation when stepping down for a passing overtake.

Trademarked Safety

Naturally, it wouldn’t be a Volvo without scoring highly in the safety stakes and the V90 Cross Country doesn’t fail to impress with available assistance systems. Adaptive Cruise Control and Pilot Assist, Volvo’s semi-autonomous drive system, are both available in the V90 Cross Country, however, it is the later that I have some concerns over.

Volvo will proudly step up and claim how inventive and thorough their Drive Pilot system is but I can’t help feel that much of this is marketing pitch. I believe that currently, the Germans are doing a better job of this – at least one of them is.

The Pilot Assist system allows for the driver to relax behind the wheel with minimal input required when the system is activated and configured correctly. It was modify the speed according to the selected speed and the following distance chosen. Then, road marking dependent, the steering assistance will guide the V90 in the lane, making sure that it doesn’t stray from the lane and gently steering the vehicle as needed. In theory at least.

I found the system to favour the passenger side of the vehicle more than was comfortable and with the wider lanes on some roads, I would have the V90 bouncing between the lines from side to side, drawing the attention of every metro police officer and pissing off every biker that wanted to lane split. As a result, I found myself fighting the system more often than not, adding to my fatigue, rather than reducing it. It’s a system that shows promise, but we’re not out of the woods just yet.

However this is one area of fault and the remaining assistance systems constantly guard you without any intrusion until such time as it is needed.

The V90 Cross Country is equipped with a smorgasbord of passive safety systems including, but not limited to: pedestrian detection, cyclist detection, large animal detection, autobrake at intersections, run-off road mitigation and protection, rear collision warning, distance alert, road sign information and driver alert control – all standard features that can be complemented by rear cross traffic alert and blind sport information as optional extras.

Interior Appointment

When your model range keeps company with the established and revered German and Japanese luxury market, you have to ensure that your trimmings and build quality are of the highest order; Volvo scores strongly in this department.

The fit and finish is above average, with a warm and inviting touch to almost all tactile surfaces. Only in the more obscure areas will you question the usage of materials, but these are negligible and easily forgotten in the greater scheme of things.

The Sensus Connect tablet-style infotainment interface with its large, 9-inch touch display echoes the system found in the S90 and features three primary screens for controlling various aspects of the entertainment, vehicle settings, navigation and communication. The home screen consists of four tiles, shortcuts for frequently used controls.

As standard, the V90 Cross Country is fitted with a 10-speaker sound system and is more certainly one of the best we’ve encountered. The Sensus Connect is packaged with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although I could not get this to work as effectively as in other vehicles offering the same.

Why the V90 Cross Country then?

In short, because there’s nothing else in the luxury segment that offers the same combination of versatility, class, luxury and flexibility in a crossover format. It’s a unique snowflake landing amongst the rock-like brutish SUVs and 7-seaters

It blends practicality with a comfortable, high-tech drive and is trimmed in leather and jewel-like adornment. It all comes at a price but it’s justifiable when considering the package in its entirety.

The Volvo V90 Cross Country starts at R889 066 before selecting a few options and comes with a 5-year / 100 000km warranty, full maintenance plan and roadside assistance.

Volvo V90 Cross Country D4 AWD Momentum	R794 800
Volvo V90 Cross Country D4 AWD Inscription	R825 200
Volvo V90 Cross Country D5 AWD Momentum	R839 500
Volvo V90 Cross Country D5 AWD Inscription	R869 900
Volvo V90 Cross Country T5 AWD Momentum	R770 900
Volvo V90 Cross Country T5 AWD Inscription	R801 300
Volvo V90 Cross Country T6 AWD Momentum	R890 900
Volvo V90 Cross Country T6 AWD Inscription	R921 300