Way back in the distant past of 1997, Volvo had the great idea to give its wagon the underpinnings of an off-road vehicle, creating its Cross Country wagon line of cars. This added a degree of ruggedness to the wagon’s space and utility, making for a great family car in any rural areas or regions subject to harsh weather. Today, Volvo announced that it’s taking sedans off the beaten path with the S60 Cross Country.
If this looks like just a slightly taller S60… well, it is. The ride height has been raised two and a half inches, giving the Swedish sedan the appearance of a startled cat. Functionally, though, it’s got the same all-wheel drive capabilities as the Cross Country wagon, although it will also have a front-wheel drive option in select markets. All this will ride on either 18-inch or 19-inch wheels wrapped in high profile tires.
“We want to further explore the market with our Cross Country brand,” says Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Product Strategy and Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Cars. “We have included all the capability-driven benefits of the Cross Country brand in this new model, while offering a completely unique expression of adventure and all-road readiness in a distinctly sporty and stylish package.”
Under the hood, Volvo will offer a range of options, such as the Volvo T5, a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that produces 250 horsepower and a 190 hp diesel four-cylinder for the front-wheel drive versions sold in Europe. The Volvo S60 Cross Country sedan will officially debut next week at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, but the donked-out Swedish sedan will be available to order by the start of the summer. After that, only time will tell if the high-water pants of the automotive world will be setting an ongoing trend.
