India-bound Volvo V90 Cross Country unveiled

Volvo is on an aggressive path this year. Shortly after bringing in the S60 Cross Country and the XC90 T8 Hybrid, the Swedish car manufacturer is planning to get its latest unveil, the V90 Cross Country, to India. The Volvo V90 Cross Country or CC, as it will be henceforth called, is a derivative of the V90 estate which is not yet available in India. It is the third car to be based on Volvo's new Scalable Product Plan (SPA) platform.

While it looks exactly the same as the V90 wagon, there are subtle differences. For example, the tyres are now made of a softer compound with a wider profile. Volvo claims that the electronic chassis has been reworked to accommodate for mild off-roading. The suspension has been retuned and now has a longer stroke. Ground clearance has been increased to 210mm now, higher than even the S60 Cross Country which we recently tested.

Inside, things look similar to the Volvo XC90, but this is a strict 5-seater. The seats have massaging function and the boot space is enormous too. There is also the Bowers & Wilkins sound system as well as the panoramic sunroof as part of the equipment list. While the car that was showcased to us didn't have a spare wheel in the boot, Volvo says cars that will go to showrooms will definitely come with a full-size spare.

While it was widely speculated that the Volvo V90 Cross Country will use the existing engine line-up from the XC90, it isn't completely true. For example, the T8 plug-in hybrid will not make its way to the V90 Cross Country. Instead the 254PS T5 and 320PS T6 petrol as well as the 190PS and 235PS D4 and D5 engines will be available.

All these engines are 4-cylinder and will be mated to 8-speed auto transmissions with different driving modes like normal, sports and thereon. All-wheel drive is standard too. A Volvo official said that while the company initially did say that 3-cylinder engines are the future, customer surveys say that while people are willing to accept downsized engines, they still prefer the 4-cylinder motors. In the same vein, for a linear torque delivery as well as better packaging with respect to safety, Volvo will continue with transverse engines.

Volvo will start manufacturing the V90 Cross Country at its Sweden plant from December. The car is expected to go on sale from next year in India as well as other countries. While Volvo doesn't have a manufacturing facility in India currently, it has always priced its vehicles very competitively. The company says that with a sustainable growth in the near future, a plant in India cannot be ruled out.

Prices for the Volvo V90 Cross Country in India are expected to range between Rs 60-65 lakh, even lower than the XC60. Volvo says equipment levels on the India-bound variant will be similar to the XC90 Inscription. Currently, Volvo India is riding high on the success of the XC90 and hopes to do an encore with V90 Cross Country come June 2017.