The Terrific And The Phenomenal Volvo V90 Cross Country
On the way to Coonoor, climbing the hills, it is monsoon time. The smell of coffee filled the air. I was driving the Volvo V90 Cross Country and the valley drops on one side and the other. The hills are camouflaged with trees and a few monkeys jumping about. I have never ever felt so confident in a car. Driving flat out, negotiating the blindest curves in the blind curve, clasping the steering wheel tight and changing gears with the paddle shifts provided me with great peace of mind. The Haldex 5th generation All Wheel Drive, all gave me great driving control.
The Haldex senses very fast. The road conditions offer the required traction. The front independent suspension, with a wishbone-coil spring setup and the rear with a self-leveling air suspension, provided a heavenly drive feeling. There are four driving modes provided – Eco, Comfort, Off-road and Dynamic. This is to take on the challenge of any road condition with your driving skills. You can go from the office to total off-road rally mode. Thank god for the seats, designed by orthopedic surgeons. They provide perfect lumbar support as well as support for the lateral and thigh area. I never tired for long distance driving or rallying.
The V90 Cross Country is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel D5 twin-turbo engine. It provides 16V, DOHC and produces 235 bhp at 4000rpm of power. It also gives 480 Nm of torque from 1750nm to 2250nm, mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. It goes from 0 to 100 km/hr in 7.5 seconds. Its top speed is 230 km/hr. I really admired the quick power delivery. This was due to Volvo’s own technology, called the “Power Pulse.” It has a compressed air tank which force feeds air into the intake manifold to get rid of the turbo lag and provide power swift acceleration.
The V90 Cross Country’s enchanting design is inspired by the S90 saloon. It has the simple Volvo signature grille, the vertical black bars with tiny chrome squares and Thor’s hammer LED headlamps. The sharp contours are very futuristic. It has a ground clearance of 210 mm and rests on low-profile Pirelli tires with 20-inch black diamond-cut alloy rims. The entire lower part of the car is protected by black claddings. This provides protection from off road driving conditions. It is an amazing ride experience. The V90 Cross Country is 4,936mm long – just 14mm shorter than XC90.
The interiors are similar to the Volvo S90. The height of the seats have great all round visibility. The subtle beauty is a sheer delight. The quality of craftsmanship and materials is unsurpassed. It has medium dark brown dual-tone, aluminum panels and Nappa Leather Upholstery. The front has heated massage seats and even the steering can be heated. Three interior options to choose from are maroon brown, amber or charcoal-coloured leather with mesh aluminum trim. The luggage room of the V90 Cross Country is 560 liters and 1526 liters with the rear passenger seats down. Just throw in a boat. Once seated inside, no external noise bothers you due to the active noise cancellation. There is ample headroom, elbow room and ample knee-room, even for a 6 foot well-built human.
The sharp 9 inch display touchscreen infotainment system paired with a 19-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system gives mind blowing sound quality. A panoramic sunroof and heads-up display, are the basic features. Also, the carpets are plush. One can control the navigation, phone, climate control, and audio functions from the 9 inch touchscreen, which is the central command.
Special features in the V90 Cross Country are self-parking and the radar assisted cruise control, with partial self-driving tech. The automatic braking is a great boon. It functions under 50 km/hr. As it senses a human or animal crossing, it breaks immediately, saving lives for outside as well as for the passengers inside. It is also equipped with Apple CarPlay as standard. The radar assisted cruise control, upon detecting the vehicle in front, controls the braking, speed and steering. This is a safe distance from the car in front, set to maintain a two-car length from the traffic ahead.
A few of the standard features in the Volvo V90 Cross Country are adaptive LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, a hands-free power lift gate and navigation. The safety features include rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, collision mitigation with emergency braking and lane departure warning and intervention.
The Volvo V90 Cross Country T6 AWD is a terrific and phenomenal station wagon. It is a super cross country station wagon.