2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country test drive review

The classic station wagon seems to be going the way of cassette tapes, overhead projectors and phonebooks. Despite its charm, it’s a dying relic of yesteryear that you’re more likely to find in an ‘80s film than on the freeway. And yet there’s at least one luxury station wagon out there with some staying power: the 2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country.

KSL Cars spent a week with the Cross Country and it didn’t take long to understand why someone might opt for one of these wagons over a sedan or a full-fledged SUV. Volvo delivers classy, Scandinavian luxury in a spacious, stylish package with the V90, and there’s certainly a lot to love about this thing. The only question we have is whether or not it’s worth the posh level price tag.

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Volvo makes an argument for the return of the station wagon.

Price and value 

The starting MSRP for the 2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country is $61,195 for the base Plus trim, $66,795 for the Ultimate. Some of the features and major differences between the two trims are noted below.

• Volvo V90 Cross Country Plus See listings

9-inch center touch screen

10-speaker stereo

Panoramic roof

• Volvo V90 Cross Country Ultimate See listings

Head-up display

Massaging front seats

Harman Kardon premium sound system

Our tester was the top tier V90 Cross Country Ultimate trim. Though its base MSRP was $64,750, a number of add-ons brought the final price up to $73,380, including destination fees. These options included the Climate package (heated rear seats, headlamp cleaners and heated steering wheel), a side scuff plate, a luggage cover, a power operated tailgate, a premium Bowers & Wilkins stereo, 21-inch wheels and adaptive air suspension. At $750, the Climate package seems worth the cost. We’d even throw in the adaptive air suspension for $1,200. But eliminating the $3,200 premium sound system and the other options could save you around $5,000. 

Still, even at the base price of $64,750, no one would call this wagon cheap. For optimal savings, we recommend sticking with the Plus trim, which has the same engine and power output as the Ultimate trim.

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Performance

We wouldn’t exactly call the V90 Cross Country’s performance “sporty.” A better word might be “sturdy.” It puts out a respectable amount of power and offers a composed and mostly comfortable ride around town. 

The Volvo V90 comes with all-wheel drive.

Engine and drivetrain

Each V90 Cross Country has the same B6 turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. It makes 295 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. This is more than enough power for average daily driving needs, and the 8-speed automatic transmission seemed to shift smoothly from gear to gear. Of course, all-wheel drive is always a bonus here in Utah, where the weather can turn on you at any given moment. 

Fuel economy 

The mild hybrid system helps boost fuel economy slightly with an estimated 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. For a wagon, that’s not too bad. And it certainly goes under the “pro” column for the V90 if you’re trying to decide between this and a bigger SUV. Most of our driving was around town with a lot of stop-and-go traffic, so we averaged about 21 mpg.

Acceleration and handling 

This Volvo may not be the fastest car off the line, but it’s no slouch either. In Car and Driver’s testing, the V90 Cross Country zipped from 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds. It handles corners and road imperfections well for the most part, and steering is responsive. Our tester was equipped with the optional air suspension that’s only available on the Ultimate trim, so we can’t speak to what the ride quality feels like without it. Those who prioritize comfort above all else may want to keep this in mind. 

Braking 

The V90 Cross Country drives a little heavy, but the brakes don’t make it feel that way. They brought the wagon to a quick, complete stop and were never any cause for concern. 

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Volvo knows how to make you comfortable with its refined, spacious seating.

Interior comfort and convenience 

The V90 Cross Country’s interior gets high marks in nearly every category. It’s full of refined Scandinavian touches, high quality materials and comfortable, spacious seats. The only potential downfall is the infotainment system. 

Seats

This Volvo can seat up to five passengers, and even adults should feel comfortable in the second row thanks to ample head and legroom. Our tester came with upgraded Nappa leather seating, which added to the overall aura of luxuriousness and refinement. The seats were comfortable, supportive and heated in both rows, thanks to the addition of the Climate package. 

Volvo is one of the few brands that really knows how to pack a punch in the heated seat category. Even with our normally high heat tolerance, we found ourselves switching off that function several times, even in the dead of winter. This is a compliment — not a criticism.

Our kids stayed comfortable in the second row, but buyers should know that the lower LATCH anchors on the seats can be a little tricky to work around if you have a booster or car seat to install. Other than that, we have no complaints.

Climate control 

We appreciated the fast acting four-zone climate control system. Within a couple of minutes, the cabin reached a cozy temperature. It was a welcome retreat from the bitter February winds.

Cargo space and cabin storage 

The Volvo V90 Cross Country gets 10/10 from us in terms of cargo space and accessibility. With the seats folded down, maximum cargo capacity is 69 cubic feet. With them up, rear storage drops to 19.8 cubic feet, but that proved to be plenty for our average Costco haul. Even if other wagons offer a little more space in the back, we give the gold star to Volvo for the hands-free power liftgate and lack of lip on the back bed, which made loading and unloading as easy as a Costco pumpkin pie. 

The center touchscreen is vertically oriented.

Infotainment system 

Now we come to one of the few gripes we have with this wagon: the infotainment system. We admit, this is largely a matter of personal preference, but we were not huge fans of the vertically oriented 9-inch center touchscreen. We found that it made camera views much smaller since a horizontal picture had to fit into a vertical screen. Plus, the Google-based system seemed to struggle with a few voice commands and inputs.

On the plus side, it’s an easy system to learn once you’re used to it. And our 5-year-old daughter loved that we could watch “Frozen” song clips on YouTube while we were waiting for her brother in the carpool pickup area. This is a feature that you can only access in park (once you start driving, the screen goes blank for your safety), so it feels slightly gimmicky. But the images were crystal clear, so props to Volvo for that.

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Exterior appearance and functionality 

All Volvos look like cars that have been sent to finishing school. They’re neither boring nor flashy on the outside — they’re just clean and well-cut. If you’re a fan of wagons, you’ll likely appreciate the way the V90 Cross Country looks.

Wheels 

We felt like the 21-inch wheels on our tester may have impeded the ride quality slightly, just because they were so large. A smaller size may have made for a gentler ride. 

Lights and turn signals

The headlights looked sharp and illuminated the road nicely in the dark. All other lights and turn signals functioned as expected.

Front and rear windshield 

From a visibility standpoint, the front windshield is excellent and the rear windshield is pretty good. As far as noise cancellation goes, the glass did a mostly OK job of muffling the outside world. The only time things get a little loud is at higher speeds.

Cameras and side mirrors 

As mentioned in our infotainment review, the surround-view camera system was impeded slightly by the 9-inch vertical screen. We’d prefer a horizontal screen that maximizes the wider view. Otherwise, the cameras and side mirrors all did their job.

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Safety 

The safety features could be summed up in three words: It’s a Volvo. The brand is basically synonymous with safety. As such, it comes loaded with a long list of driver assistance features. These included:

• Surround-view camera system

• Automatic emergency braking

• Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic assist

• Lane keep assist

• Park assist

• Adaptive cruise control

• Driver attention monitoring

• Traffic sign recognition

For a full list of safety features, click here. 

Awards and Ratings 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives mostly top marks for the 2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country. It got the highest rating in all three crashworthiness tests and the second highest rating for headlights, front crash prevention and the LATCH system.

Final Impression

The 2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country is a station wagon we’d be happy to drive around any day of the week, especially with a young family in tow. It’s spacious, stylish, comfortable, safe and easy to drive. And while, yes, we would prefer a different layout and interface for the infotainment system, that’s a forgivable flaw. Our biggest question mark with this one is the price. Sure, it’s a solid option for those who want something roomier than a sedan but not quite so burly as an SUV. But is it worth over $70,000 to get there? We’ll let you decide for yourself. 

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FAQs 

Where is the Volvo V90 Cross Country made? 

The Volvo V90 Cross Country is made in Sweden.

What’s the difference between a Volvo V90 and a Volvo V90 Cross Country?

Volvo discontinued most models of the V90 in 2021 and the Cross Country trim was the only one to survive the cut. It differentiates itself from other V90 models in that it has a higher ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive and a mild hybrid system. It also has a Google based infotainment system.

Can the Volvo V90 Cross Country go off-road?

Believe it or not, the V90 Cross Country does have an off-road mode. Available only in low speeds, this mode increases traction in tough conditions and steep hills. Hill descent control also allows the engine to do the braking when you take your foot off the accelerator.

*KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.