Jan 21, 2020, 11:20 AM by Mike Blake

The Volvo V90, marketed by the Swedish automaker since 2016, is a mid-size luxury wagon, often referred to as a Crossover. A big brother to Volvo's S90 sedan, the V90 in AWD is designed for use on rough terrain, unsealed roads and for light off-road usage. Since Crossovers have more buyer appeal than Wagons, we can excuse Volvo for blurring the designation of V90, but either way, this luxury family car has appeal and capability. So much so that Digital Trends.com named the Volvo V90 “Best Luxury Family Car”.

I tested the 5-door Cross Country trim and found it to be a rugged, all-weather, all-luxury vehicle that belies its wagonesque guise. The V90 Cross Country employs Volvo’s design face, and includes the manufacturer’s iconic “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlight design, a spiffy grille and Euro-sculpted design cues. In the cabin, Volvo has taken the clean, Scandinavian interior design of its XC90 model and added new details on the dashboard and instrument panel, including new air blades that stand vertically on each side of the Sensus® user interface. And all new Volvos are now connected, thanks to Volvo’s connectivity and infotainment system (Sensus®), which delivers an intuitive touch screen interface that combines car functions, navigation, connected services and in-car entertainment applications such as Spotify, Pandora, Baidu or TuneIn. The portrait-oriented touch screen enables easy and fast access to a host of functions and features. Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also available.

Introduced in 2018, and remaining largely the same as it was in 2019, the 2020 V90 adds new active safety features; new gloss-black mirror caps, window trim, and integrated roof rails in the R-Design trim and an available Park Assist Pilot option that assists with parallel parking and adds a front camera and audible proximity-warning alert to aid front parking.

My test V90 Cross Country comes base with a 316 hp engine (see below), automatic transmission and AWD, 19-inch matte tech black diamond cut alloy wheels with six double spoke,; leather upholstery, Black Walnut décor inlays, dual integrated tailpipes, Lane Keeping tech, color coordinated rearview mirror, touring chassis, high-performance audio system and more.

Weighing in at a robust 4400 lbs., the Volvo V90 has dimensions of 60.7 inches high, 194.4 inches long and 75.9 inches high on a 115.8-inch wheelbase. Ground clearance is 8.3 inches.
 
Volvo power comes in the form of either a turbocharged 2.0-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine that delivers 250hp and 258 lb-ft of torque for a fuel estimate of 23/city, 31/highway and 26mpg overall; or a supercharged and turbocharged in-line 4 that is good for 316 horses and 400 lb-ft. That’s the one that powered my AWD test ride, and it lived up to its EPA ratings of 21/city, 31/highway and 25mpg/overall with a snowy-terrain average of 26.2mpg.

Possibly a full second quicker on the track than its little brother engine, my super-turbo accelerated responsively and seamlessly to a 5.8-second zero-to-60mph run and a hand-timed 14.4-second quarter-mile. In low ranges, there are some hesitations, but the ride is velvety smooth. V90’s Electric Power Assisted Rack and Pinion Steering is predictable and stable, and the Double Wishbone Front Suspension, Coil Springs, Hydraulic Shock Absorbers and Stabilizer Bar work in concert with the Integral Axle Rear with Transverse Composite Leaf Spring, Hydraulic shocks to provide a luxury ride for driver and passengers.

The cabin carries on the luxury demeanor with elegant Dark Walnut trim, a host of infotainment, connectivity and safety features, and 69 cu. ft. of cargo capacity. But the low roofline yields headroom that only measures 37.8 inches up front and 37.7 in row two; leg room is spacious in row one, at 42.2 inches, but only 35.9 inches in the rear seats; and shoulder room is 57.5 in the first row and 55.9 for the rear seats.

The base 2020 Volvo V90 starts at $52,095 and the base V90 T6 Cross Country starts at $55,195. Denim Blue metallic exterior paint added $645 and worked well with the Blonde Leather and charcoal interior with Black Walnut inlays; dual exhaust pipes (I don’t see the need for a family wagon, but that’s how it was outfitted) added $245; side exterior scuff plates added $935 and front and rear mud flaps added $200. Park assist Pilot added $200; a 14-speaker premium Harmon Kardon sound system added $800; and Polestar Performance Software for $1295 that is designed to create a more precise and balanced driving experience, optimizing mid-range engine performance, gearshifts and throttle response. Now, we get pricey, as my ride added one of two available tech packages. The Advanced package added $2450 for full LED Headlights with Active Bending Lights, 360º Surround View Camera, Headlight High Pressure Cleaning and Graphical Head-Up Display. We went without the really cool Luxury package that would have required an exterior color change to Chrystal White Metallic paint, and would have cost $4500 for Heated Rear Seats, 4-Way Power Front Seats with Lumbar Support and Power Adjustable Side Support, Rear and rear side door Sun Curtains, 4-Zone Automatic Climate Control + CleanZone and lots of interior cosmetics. 

With Destination Fees of $995, my 2020 Volvo V90 T6 AWD Cross Country as-tested, stickered at $62,315.

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Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>