2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country Review

 (Words and photos by Kevin Nguyen.  Edited by Scott Wasser.)

The 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country B5 Ultimate is a rarity in a U.S. market dominated by SUVs and crossovers. It possesses sportier styling and driving dynamics than boxier SUVs and crossovers yet retains much of their versatility. We miss many of the once-popular station wagon models that have vanished, but we’re delighted that Volvo’s Cross Country is still with us. The V60 we tested comes at a rather hefty price of $63,585, including options and destination charge. After spending a week with the V60, we were reminded how much we miss station wagons – especially those like the Cross Country, which offer a little more ruggedness and ground clearance for inclement weather.

Hits:
- Bowers & Wilkins audio system is one of the best on the market, a true audiophile ear-pleaser that shines in the V60 Cross Country's quiet cabin.

- Refined ride, spacious interior, and very supportive yet comfortable seats.

- Sitting 2.2 inches taller (7.8 vs. 5.6 inches) than the conventional V60, the Cross Country’s higher ride height boosts confidence while navigating New England's rugged and often snow-covered roads… even with the test car’s optional, 20-inch wheels.

- Simple, yet attractive exterior and interior styling exudes a Scandinavian vibe that many will find appealing and few will find offensive. That’s a nice contrast to the excessively large grills and often obnoxious front and rear lighting treatments so popular today.

Misses:
- Frustratingly unintuitive infotainment system with some convoluted controls and sometimes sluggish performance. The finicky navigation system, which asks the operator to jump through more menus than should be necessary, also simply failed to work at times.

- The 20-inch wheel upgrade with Pirelli all-season tires sometimes struggled to get a grip in deep snow, despite a sophisticated AWD system that seemed to send power to the wheels that needed it.

- Pricing with options came close to that of the taller XC60 B5 Ultimate SUV, making the V60 Cross Country a hard sell to anyone who isn’t a wagon enthusiast.