Sweden's two most coveted exports highlight both indoor and outdoor adventures.
For those ensconced indoors during the depths of winter, IKEA provides 'U-Built-It' furniture complete with picture-heavy manuals and in-store decadent meatballs to consume while pondering the project. Those lacking the necessary patience to follow such schematics may opt for the outdoor-inspired option, a fully-assembled Volvo.
This year marks 90 years since the first mass-produced Volvo car rolled off a production line in Gothenburg, Sweden. Current parent company Geely Holdings of China purchased Volvo from Ford Motor Company in 2010.
Volvo assembles its alpha-numeric vehicle identification with easily digestible logic. Three alpha prefixes clue body structure: S equals sedan, XC designate crossover while V denotes Versatility (think sleek, station wagon). The larger the divisible-by-10 numeric suffix, the beefier the meatball (or larger the vehicle).
Consider the V60 (this week's tester) a roomy compact wagon or diminutive mid-sizer; it's a' tweener. Backseat leg room may be tight for full-size adults, but three can fit in a pinch. Cargo opportunities when folding down 40/20/40 second-row seats add up to 43.8 cubic feet, tilting towards compact dimensions.
Volvo's V60 wagon transforms the once frumpy station wagon into a cool dude. Many Volvo wagons during the tail end of the 20th century resembled an elongated box with four wheels. Slopes, curves and a low-slung roof replace the box step this Millennia. The V60's vertical rear/brake lights flanking the back hatch bear resemblance to an Alpine ski slide. Dual built-in-frame exhausts add to a smooth finish. Underpinnings are borrowed from the S60 mid-size sedan.
Volvo's well-earned reputation for occupant safety also carries on into the new century. Reinforced safety cages and three-point seat belts (early adapted by Volvo) are now common across the industry.
The five-door V60 wagon comes with yet another distinction, a "Cross Country" sub trim, piling on an additional layer of off-road grip, muscle and bulk. Cross Country designates include electronically controlled (no driver input) all-wheel drive along with high profile tires for tackling surfaces not always dry and clean. Ground clearance increases to 7.9 inches and riders sit higher up than with a non-CC V60. Protective front and rear skid plates prepare the Cross Country for light off-road adventures.
Volvo's all-wheel-drive delivers power to the wheels with the best grip. If one tire loses traction, power gets reduced to that tire and redistributed to better-gripping rubber. Torque vectoring redistributes power to wheels with the most traction during turns, helping to steer effectively through them.
Updates for V60 Cross Country 2017 include the retirement of an underperforming 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine for a more efficient 2.0-liter turbo-charged four delivering 240 horsepower, a staple in the conventional V60 wagon. Both V60 and V60 Cross Country wagons arrived in the U.S. market during the 2015 model year.
The sole engine mates to an upgraded eight-speed automatic transmission. Premium 91-octane fuel is recommended for maximum performance, although 87 octane is accepted. Fuel economy checks better than 2016, adding two additional miles per gallon in both categories (now 22 miles per gallon city and 30 mpg highway)
In calendar year 2016, Volvo sold 82,724 total units in the U.S., up a healthy 18.1 percent from a year earlier. The V60 wagon remains a niche player, generating 3,407 units last year in the U.S.
Inside, the center stack design remains unchanged. A comparatively small non-touch color monitor adorns top center. Interaction takes place via an array of two-dozen push buttons below or secondary steering wheel buttons. A thumb-friendly rotary dial at 3 o'clock effectively scrolls through screen menu options.
The button-busy center stack region resembles a phone-like key pad doubling as radio pre-set selections framed by larger push buttons operating A/C, rear defrost, navigation screen and other functions. A pair of larger side twist dials control audio volume and station selection (top two) and dual temperature settings (bottom two). A smaller twist dial activates fan speed within a three-sectioned anatomy-outline push panel (head, torso, bottom) summoning fan direction.
Volvo's recently redesigned S90 flagship sedan includes an award-winning layout most likely to join V60 during its next-gen redesign in the not-so-distant future. Mimicking dimensions of a vertically-standing iPad, a center touch screen (5.5 inches wide by 7.25 inches deep) is flanked by long, narrow air vents contrasting with square-shaped geometric shapes at the dashboard's far ends.
The detailed animated instrument panel, anchored by a center circular speedometer, remains static as a single screen with no scrollable interior windows.
Small storage nooks remain rare when stacked against competitors. Portable electronic plug-in ports reside inside the diminutive center arm/rest storage bin with a 12-volt outlet adjacent to outside beverage holders. Drivers enjoy good perception in all directions.
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2017 Volvo V60 Cross Country test drive corresponded with an annual pilgrimage to the North American International Auto Show's media preview days in Detroit. Power front bucket lumbar supports help create some of the most comfortable and supportive seats from any manufacturer, a Volvo staple, making for a pleasant journey. Cornering and handling remain functional, not exhilarating.
Two V60 Cross Country trims are available: Premium and top-shelf Platinum. Convenience and Technology option packages are optional in Premium, but standard in Platinum.
Premium editions check in at $41,700. Our V60 Cross Country Platinum trim started at luxury-inspired $45,350. After small doses of stand-alone goodies: (Blind spot warning, metallic paint, alloy wheels), the bottom line tallied to $50,130 including a $995 destination charge.
The convenience package includes a rear park assist camera and integrated garage door opener. The technology package adds radar cruise control, collision warning with auto braking, pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist. Exclusive to Platinum: adaptive, swiveling-type Xenon headlights with washers
A $1,550 climate package includes heated front seats, dual outboard two-stage kid booster seats, heated windshield and heated steering wheel. A conventional (non-cross country) V60 front-wheel drive wagon starts at $36,150.
While Swedish officials share no immediate plans of constructing an IKEA factory on US soil, Volvo, announced plans two years ago to open its first North American assembly facility about 30 miles northwest of the port city of Charleston, South Carolina. The plant is expected up and running by 2018 with high-volume S60 sedans as first resident. Currently, Volvos a majority are built in Sweden, Belgium and China.
In addition to the mid-size V60 wagon, Volvo brings a slightly larger all-new V90 wagon (debuting in North America at the recently completed Detroit show) to the U.S. later in the 2017 calendar year. Chicago's answer to the Motor City Auto Show opens to the public on Saturday, February 11 at McCormick Place.
2017 Volvo V60 Cross Country
Price as tested: $50,130
Wheelbase: 109.2 inches
Length: 182.6 inches
Width: 73.4 inches
Height: 60.8 inches
Engine: 2.0 four-cylinder turbo
Horsepower: 240
City/Highway economy: 22 mpg city/ 30 mpg highway
Assembly: Gothenburg, Sweden