Volvo Cross Country

Volvo Cross Country Models

The Volvo Cross Country shows up in a single body style spinning off Volvo's V70 mid-size wagon: It's a five-door estate wagon hiked higher in the suspension and outfitted with an all-wheel-drive system linked to a 2.4-liter inline five-cylinder light-pressure turbo engine with a five-speed automatic transmission.

Pricing begins at $34,900 with many standard safety features aboard, including side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and a traction control system.

Driving the Volvo Cross Country

On pavement, the Volvo Cross Country behaves like an agile European touring car with a lush but firm ride quality and quick steering responses, due to a stiff structure anchoring independent suspension elements with front MacPherson struts and a rear multi-link axle, plus rack and pinion steering.

Away from pavement on rough terrain, the Volvo Cross Country changes character and acts more like an off-road vehicle, thanks to the elevated chassis, nubby Pirelli Scorpion tires and an all-wheel-drive system that automatically channels engine torque to the set of wheels that gets good traction.

The Cross Country we steered up a rugged two-rut trace on Mount Manchester in Vermont maintained steady forward progress, despite trail obstacles like rain-slick rocks and tire-sucking mud traps. With the higher suspension we cleared all bumps and debris without fear, and the automatic traction distributor kept tires rolling so driving became no-brainer easy. Volvo's all-wheel-drive apparatus normally directs about 95 percent of the engine torque to the front wheels, although when on-board sensors detect wheel spin the mechanism can redirect the power to whichever set of wheels has the best tire bite. It's a seamless system that functions automatically, so a driver never must make a conscious decision to shift into four-wheel-drive mode.

A traction controller for all four wheels operates in conjunction with the all-wheel-drive system to brake a spinning wheel, and anti-lock controls for the disc brakes also work when needed to help maintain stability on pavement as well as dirt.

For muscle, the Volvo Cross Country draws from a 2.4-liter inline five-cylinder light-pressure turbo-charged engine that generates 197 horsepower. It produces high torque at relatively low engine speed without the typical turbo lag, bringing fast off-the-line starts and still enough juice retained at highway speed to inspire a quick pass around slower traffic.

The engine mates to a five-speed electronic automatic transmission equipped with Volvo's Geartronic mode that allows shift-it-yourself maneuvers. Simply slap the gear lever to the left and lock it in the gate, then push the stick forward to move to the next higher gear or tip it rearward to drop to a lower gear. It's useful for working through heavy traffic or undulating terrain.

All mechanical aspects of this vehicle work together to create a stable stance and proficient manners, whether on the road or off on a trail. The Volvo Cross Country easy to maneuver, rather frisky in a run through some esses on a hill course, and, with the stretched wheelbase and refined suspension elements, still plush on pavement. The aggressive Pirelli Scorpion tires make slightly more noise than a regular all-season tire, but are well within acceptable bounds.