2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country: Rugged luxury

During the test period, I didn't encounter any dirt roads or snow. So, I have to admit, the SUV-like ground clearance that the 2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country brings was kind of lost on me.

But, I will say the urban jungle fraught with cavernous potholes was a little easier to traverse this week. Plus, I just like the idea that I could drive off the beaten path if I wanted to. And those Midwestern snowstorms? Piece of cake in this rugged sedan.

To top it off, the S60 Cross Country is as luxurious as it is capable. Overall, it's a great car for someone with an active lifestyle who still wants the finer things in life.

Design

Volvo has dubbed the S60 Cross Country a "sedan crossover," trying to differentiate it in a growing crowd of cars equipped with all-wheel drive. In addition to some rugged exterior cladding, the S60 Cross Country gets beefier 18- and 19-inch tires and ground clearance that's comparable to a small SUV. The 7.9-inch ground clearance is pretty aggressive considering that much larger vehicles, such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, have clearances that are just an inch more.

The great thing about the S60 Cross Country, however, is that you don't have to climb up into it. To me that's the best of both worlds: You get slightly better visibility because of the higher ride height, but you can still slide into it like you would a regular sedan.

The overall exterior styling of the S60 Cross Country falls in line with the rest of the Volvo lineup, which has gone more and more mainstream over the past several years. I remember when the Volvos of yore were ugly boxes that people bought more because of safety than attractive styling. Now, I think it's fair to say these two things are not mutually exclusive.

I like the way the S60 Cross Country looks. It cuts a different profile than a lot of the sedans currently on the road, providing a unique stance that is immediately recognizable as a Volvo. Then there are those mesmerizing taillights. Lit up at night, they scream "Volvo" from a distance.

The interior is sleek, modern and very Scandinavian. I totally appreciate the center stack with its hard buttons for HVAC and audio controls. The seats are a work of art with bolstering in all the right places. Even the headrests manage to be pretty, comfortable and functional.

I will note that the seat bottoms were a tad to big for my petite frame, but not enough to bother me. In contrast, my husband, who is 5-foot 9-inches, declared them to be perfect.

Ride & Handling

The S60 Cross Country only has one engine option: the 2.5-liter, turbocharged 5-cylinder. But that's fine with me because it performs really well, delivering 25 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. It also only has one transmission option: a 6-speed automatic.

Whether I was driving on city streets or the highway, I found the ride to be very comfortable. My neighborhood is riddled with pockmarked streets, and the S60 Cross Country fielded them fairly well. Then again, the available 19-inch tires probably had something to do with that.

Acceleration is smooth and seamless, and while I wouldn't call it "peppy" or "fast," it was better than average for highway merges and quick starts.

The one point of contention I have with the handling in the S60 Cross Country - and all Volvos, really - is the turning radius. It stinks. Tight urban spaces are difficult to maneuver, and some of the more narrow parking spaces might require a 2-point turn to avoid hitting surrounding cars. And U-Turns? Don't even think about it.

Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy estimates for the S60 Cross Country are 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. This is quite optimistic for the all-wheel drive sedan. During the test week, my driving primarily took place in the city with a few quick highway jaunts, and my week-end average was 16.7 mpg - nowhere close to the city estimate.

Tech & gadgets

In this day and age, it's really tough for automakers to keep up with technology. So, I'll give Volvo credit for imbuing the S60 Cross Country with a lot of standard tech. Specifically, I'm a fan of the Sensus Connect that provides unlimited data and an in-car WiFi hotspot through AT&T. The car comes with a 6-month complimentary data plan, and as of writing this article AT&T had not come up with pricing for a renewal plan, so Volvo states on its support website that it will continue to provide complimentary data coverage until there is a renewal plan in effect. Another point in Volvo's favor.

Other high-tech standard features include: push button start, smart entry, Bluetooth phone connectivity and dual zone climate control.

As a part of the Cross Country trim, the vehicle also adds in both the Convenience and Technology packages at no cost, which include tech goodies such as road sign information, driver alert controls, HomeLink garage door opener and distance alert.

One feature in the Technology Package deserves its own paragraph, and that's the adaptive cruise control with Queue Assist. Basically, this feature allows you to set your cruise control in stop-and-go traffic, and it performs all the acceleration and braking. What's so great about this feature, however, is that it will take you all the way to a stop, and if the car in front of you moves within about 10 seconds, the car will automatically move. If it's more than 10 seconds, you can just press a button on the steering wheel that will start it up again. This is a total lifesaver in mind-numbing rush-hour traffic.

I tested this feature after a Blackhawks game trying to get out of downtown Chicago, and it worked like a charm - even on city streets.

Trims

The Cross Country version of the S60 is only available in a single trim and powertrain: The T5 AWD. Base price is $44,440, which is about $10K more than the base S60, but you get a lot of nice standard features, including all-wheel drive, leather seating surfaces, ergonomic sport seats, a low-speed collision avoidance system, backup camera, premium Harman Kardon sound system, adaptive cruise control and a whole host of other high-end safety features (see below).

The test vehicle added the Climate Package (think heated steering wheel, windshield and front and rear seats), Blind Spot Information System Package, speed sensitive steering, Urbane Wood inlays and 19-inch matte black wheels for an as-tested price of $48,390.

If you're looking for something that's more sporty than rugged, the straight S60 comes in six different flavors, ranging from the base T5 Drive-E FWD model ($34,890) all the way up to the T6 R-Design AWD model ($45,140).

Safety

Standard safety features on the Volvo S60 Cross County include the usual suspects of front dual-stage airbags, side-impact airbags, tire pressure monitoring, and electronic stability control. But it also adds some interesting standard features such as a low-speed collision avoidance system and a side-impact protection system.

As a Cross Country model, the test vehicle added high-tech standard safety features as well including collision warning with full automatic braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, distance alert, driver alert control, lane departure warning, road sign information and active high beams.

The test vehicle also added the Blind Spot information System Package ($925), which includes blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, front and rear park assist and lane change merge aid.

Neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have ratings specific to the Cross Country version of the S60. However, both agencies give the S60 top marks, awarding it a Top Safety Pick + and dolling out 5 Stars in all crash tests.

Not sure what the safety ratings mean? We break it down for you here.

New for 2016

The Cross Country version of the S60 was introduced at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit as a 2016 model. It adds increased ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive in the United States as well as a unique honey comb grille, black mirror caps and the Cross Country emblem on the rear skid plate.

A few of my favorite things

I'm a huge fan of the interior design of the S60 Cross Country. It's modern, clean and intuitive. Plus, as the weather gets colder, I'm especially appreciative of the hard buttons for HVAC and audio controls. Many automakers have started including these controls within the infotainment screen on the center stack, but as the weather turns chilly, the screens are harder to operate with cold fingers.

Volvo is also an automaker that does headrests correctly. They manage to give your head support without forcing it forward at awkward angles because of bad design. They look cool, and they're comfortable and protective at the same time.

The rear-seat head rests have the same design as the front ones, which gives rear passengers just as much support and comfort. But, they do jut up into the rear window, creating an unnecessary visibility barrier if you aren't actually carrying a rear-seat passenger. That's why I loved the button on the center stack that drops the rear headrests, giving a clear view out the rear window.

Be warned, however: If you hit that button while you still have someone sitting in the back seat, the headrest will thwack your unsuspecting passengers in the head. And, yes, I did this accidentally.

What I can leave

While I really like the cross functionality of luxury appointments and rugged capability that the S60 Cross Country brings, I hate the turning radius. And, frankly, this isn't unique to the Cross Country varietals of Volvo - it's rampant across the lineup. A simple 3-point turn often becomes a 5- to 10-point turn. This also means that the angle you select for a parallel parking space must be very specific. Otherwise, you better hope for an extra-large space.

Anyone who has ever tried to futilely inflate a flat tire with an inflator kit has a deep appreciation for a spare tire. I think every car should carry them. But in addition to some fuel economy trade offs, you're going to lose cargo volume. While I understand this, I was completely surprised by how much cargo volume was lost in the test vehicle. You will not be able to fit any large luggage or boxes back there.

The bottom line

I'm a huge fan of sedans with all-wheel drive. The added ground clearance in the Volvo S60 Cross Country makes it even more attractive for those who deal with snow or mud on a regular basis. And, I really like the interior and exterior design of this "crossover sedan."

While the base price might seem a bit steep at $43K, I think it's pretty reasonable in the luxury realm. But, if you're looking for something a little less pricey, there are some really decent AWD sedans that start in the $20K-range. Of course, they might not have the panache of the S60 Cross Country.

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