It's The Thought That Counts

In an uncertain world comes a car you can be certain about. Cutting-edge driver aids, pampering comfort, and a luxurious new platform form the new flagship estate from Volvo; a company once synonymous with boxy estates. How good is this latest attempt?

- Jim Gorde

One second is all it takes to contemplate what repercussions your actions will have. if people stopped to think, for just one second, the results of their choice of actions, especially in the greater scheme of things, the world would be a very different place. there would be no traffic jams, no accidents, and, safe to say, less anger and disappointment overall. But, sadly, some people just don’t care, and their apathy has to be compensated for by others with thoughtfulness. that’s where the people at Volvo come in. and that’s why the safety technology, active and passive features they’re famous for, and smart, modern design come in. that’s why there are Volvo cars like this V90 cross country.

Just a few years ago, if you wanted a top-of-the-line Volvo estate, you’d have to have the V70 d5 AWD — an s80 estate without a V8 to match. if you wanted one more butch, there was the Xc70. Boxy, yet with curvy lines and understated design highlights, they were both hugely practical, spacious and extremely capable. Yet the less-evolved tend to overlook such aspects in favour of more dazzling displays of external flair that wow others. Volvo, thus, had to change. and they did. the V90, then, and its cross country avatar we have here, are the result. and, unlike some, Volvo have done more than just shiny up the outside.

Bold led headlamps bearing the mjölnir, or thor’s hammer, signature. sleek, flowing lines encapsulating generous proportions, a long bonnet, large wheel-arches, 20-inch wheels, and a five-metre-long body, all form what is the new flagship estate for the swedish major. this V90 ‘cross country’ also gets front and rear skid-plates, side cladding, and an additional 60 millimetres of ride height. that’s 210 mm of ground clearance. What’s more, it isn’t just a butch makeover.