2022 Volvo V90 Cross Country Review | Car Reviews

Car123 assessments the 2022 Volvo V90 Cross Country.

The Volvo V90 Cross Region returns for 2022 with a few improvements, amongst them at least just one quite significant 1. Never ever head that huge station wagons like this are amazingly few and far in between, the point that even with all of Volvo’s EV improvement work (together with its Polestar brand) and at any time-even bigger featuring SUVs and crossovers, the large V90 wagon continues to occupy a location in the lineup is considerably of a miracle.

Granted, that is likely because that station wagons continue to get a lot of enjoy in Sweden and its neighbouring international locations. Vacation to Sweden, and you will see a terrific quite a few Volvos, and several of them are V90s or the scaled-down V60s.

The matter with this certain V90, though, is that it has two significant characteristics that attraction to each crossover and hybrid/EV purchasers.

The 1st is truly a combination of features incorporated in this individual V90’s Cross Country designation. It rides greater than other V90s, will get plastic cladding all-around the wheels and rocker panels and comes conventional with AWD. These functions must attractiveness to the crossover group.

The EV group, meanwhile, will be intrigued in the new “B6” designation, replacing the “T6” nomenclature from decades past. What that signifies is the V90 is now a mild hybrid, and options a 48V EV motor. It doesn’t allow for the motor vehicle to cruise on comprehensive EV electric power like the Recharge styles, but it does support boost acceleration and is how the supercharger gets its power it no for a longer time has to make use of the horses sent by the motor. The outcome is more quickly, smoother and extra efficient development.

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Luckily, not substantially else has altered design and style-clever for the V90 and it continues to be a person of the better-hunting utility cars located on the market place nowadays. You still get the brand’s signature Thor’s Hammer DRLs and vertical taillamps and two-tone 20-inch wheels that seem very good even when wrapped in chunky winter season rubber. And even though I’m normally fond of shiny colours on cars and trucks, I don’t intellect the Thunder Grey colouring on my tester as it recalls paint employed on the futuristic Polestar 2 EV.

Of system, you type of have to like it or lump it – there aren’t lots of vibrant colors readily available for the V90. You can’t get any shade of red, for illustration, even though a single of the CC’s major rivals, the Mercedes-Benz E 450 All Terrain receives a brilliant purple colour alternative that seems to be definitely, truly great.

Possible that is since even though the V90 may possibly a luxury product, Volvo continues to be one particular of the smaller sized producers in the quality domain, and they can’t go the extra amount of customization like Mercedes’ Designo studio or BMW’s Particular person method. So, these are the colours, choose it or depart it.

Within, the Volvo wagon is a excellent combine of luxury and the modernist simplicity of that other famed Swedish export, Ikea household furniture. The V90 receives gentle-coloured wooden inserts, a superior sprinkling of aluminum on the switchgear and other trim items, jeweled Bang & Olufsen speakers – which includes the now customary roundel speaker atop the dash – and a 9-inch vertical touchscreen infotainment technique.

The seats, as has become the norm for Volvo for decades, are pretty cozy and supportive and completed in large-class leather-based. They arrive both equally heated and cooled right here and it is accomplished in a great, radiated way, but they are operated by the touchscreen which isn’t my favourite. I’d considerably favor a tough button interface, but I really feel that is a request that’s likely to regularly go unheeded as autos get progressively tech-weighty.

The V90 is a comfy place to sit each entrance and back. Rear headroom is compromised a small little bit, but the normal total-length moonroof does a terrific occupation of producing it brighter everywhere and my guess would be that the youngsters that most usually occupy the back seats will be substantially happier with brighter environs that a cathedral-like roof top. When it comes to the entrance seats, all I ask is that they uncover a way to make the gap when you lengthen the thigh extender fewer clearly felt.

Also accessed by way of the touchscreen is the most up-to-date and (some would say) biggest new arrival to in-car tech: Android Automotive.

Not to be confused with Android Car, Android Automotive is essentially a way to seamlessly integrate your smartphone with your car or truck. All you have to do in the V90 is log in to your Google account, and you have accessibility to many of the capabilities and apps you have developed to adore: Spotify, sensible property solutions, Google Maps and so on. It is all organized in a pleasing quadrant, and not to get worried, it is a far cry from Ford’s initial SYNC program which was also quadrant-based mostly.

It’s a superior move for Volvo, mainly because although their previous infotainment process was at the time leading of the class, it hasn’t aged all that nicely, predominantly simply because it’s a minimal gradual to react and much too text major. They have kept a number of of the functions in place with the transition – there’s a still a dwelling button, and you can “swipe down” from the major of the display to access a couple of sizzling buttons.

In addition to the moderate hybrid process, with the B6 you also get each a tremendous charger and a turbocharger (the also new B5 powertrain identified on other Volvos is turbo’d only). So now, you have the electrical supercharger furnishing strengthen as quickly as you idea in, with the turbo using over as the needed exhaust gasses have developed up. It is relatively tri-run, if you will.

Via all this, you have the gentle-hybrid system performing its because of diligence and assisting deliver 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque to all 4 wheels through an 8-velocity computerized transmission. It really is a great, brief-shifting auto (and it ought to be thinking of the broad powerband) but it is a shame it does not – repeat: does not – characteristic a paddle-activated guide method. Normally, I would not be as well bothered by this in a non-sports car but here, I did overlook them as it features a incredibly functionality-centric travel.

Nevertheless, which is not to acquire absent just about anything from what this car offers. It arrives off the line with gumption, snapping as a result of all speeds in brief succession with nary a hint of turbo lag or any of that. Just sleek, linear acceleration that is still an additional good sign why the station wagon is continue to a correctly viable platform when it arrives to a terrific mix of individuals-moving and driving efficiency.

Because it does ride a small larger than its non-CC variant, a small additional lean is felt as a result of the corners, and just a smidgeon much more dive under braking and squat upon acceleration. Now, usually this is the put wherever I’d say “if you want some a bit much more aggressive managing and general performance, there is normally the R Structure or Polestar model” but I won’t, because there isn’t. If you want the V90, this is it.

What that chassis tweaking does do, however, is aid make sure superb driving on adverse terrain. In my scenario, that involved some snowy mountain streets finish with a bit of h2o fording courtesy of some just lately melted ice. The V90 punched by way of all of this with verve, rarely spinning a wheel as it shuffled energy about to make certain exceptional progress. The bigger experience height, meanwhile, gave me the type of assurance normally reserved for SUVs and crossover. Now, I wouldn’t go on an overlanding journey with a single — not without some significant tweaking, in any case – but for most weekend warriors obtaining a auto like this? Well, it’s appropriate on the cash.

Speaking of money: in this spec and a host of choice bundle, it strategies the register at just under 80 grand. It’s a major chunk of improve, but considering that each the aforementioned Mercedes and the Audi A6 Allroad both commence at 80 grand and will very likely transact at a significantly better level than that, the V90 Cross State is a relative bargain in the segment, little as that segment is.

We like

Slick new mild hybrid electrical power
Seems
Off-road chops
    
We like considerably less

No paddle shifters
Tame color palette
        
The opposition

Audi A6 Allroad
Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain

2022 Volvo V90 CC photos