2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country Review
"Weird for the sake of it" won’t cut it anymore
Volvo has long been a Swedish oddity with minuscule sales but a bunch of quirkiness baked into its cars, and the2016 S60 Cross Countryis one of its quirkiest creations yet. Volvo has been selling slightly raised, all-wheel-drive wagons for years, but we're left scratching our heads as to why the automaker decided to apply the Cross Country treatment to its midsize sedan.
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When we drove theV60 Cross Country wagonlast year, it seemed a worthy alternative to bigger, heavier crossovers that didn't really offer much more space or off-road capability. Slap body cladding and a small lift on something without a hatchback, though, and it gets harder to see the upsides. The S60 Cross Country's awkward proportions are turnoffs, and even if the extra ground clearance and all-terrain capability inspire you to take adventures, won't you want space to take your stuff with you? Good luck fitting your camping equipment in the S60 Cross Country's small, 12-cubic-foot trunk.
But by far the most confusing part of the Volvo S60 Cross Country is its timing. Volvo has been owned by China's Geely Holding Group for a few years now, and the brand is currently blossoming into a full-blown global luxury car company. Ambitious plans are in place for growing Volvo's footprint, and the first fruits of this new initiative, theXC90 SUVandS90 sedan, are extremely promising. With shared underpinnings and efficiency-minded Drive-E powertrains, these elegant, stylish, and forward-thinking luxury cars suggest a bright future for Volvo without abandoning the brand's distinctly Swedish personality.
The 2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country has personality, too, and our irrational side appreciates how nonsensical and rare it is (Volvo is only bringing 500 of these to the U.S. ). But prosperous car companies aren't built on silly ideas. We're eager to forget all about the S60 Cross Country as we watch the "New Volvo" take shape and (hopefully) find a path to success.
