Have you ever sat in a driver’s seat that was so comfortable it made you forget about the craziness outside? We have experienced a front seat that is so amazing, you will want to go to a Volvo dealer and sit in the driver’s seat just to see for yourself.
The rest of this Volvo V60 wagon is good too, but the front seat is worth the price of putting up with a pushy salesperson at the dealer – although we hope that is not your experience.
This Volvo V60 will challenge any other brand’s front seat on the planet.
Although the back seat may be a different story.
What’s New for 2015?
The Volvo V60 Cross Country is an all-new vehicle for 2015, along with the infamous front seats. The V60 Cross Country is an entry-level, luxury wagon with a raised suspension, making it useful for off-road excursions.
It comes in two trim levels: base and Platinum.
This past weekend we drove the new wagon: a 2015 Volvo V60 T5 AWD Cross Country Premium model.
V60 Features & Options
This V60 came with the Platinum trim ($3,650) that includes adaptive xenon headlights, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, interior accent lighting with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system. It also sports keyless entry and ignition, a rearview camera, an integrated garage door opener, and a digital compass.
Other technology included: adaptive cruise control, an enhanced forward collision mitigation system (including pedestrian and bicyclist detection), lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a drowsiness monitor.
The Climate package ($1,550) provides an upgraded air filtration system, along with heating for the windshield washer nozzles and steering wheel. It also provides heat to the front and rear seats.
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) package ($925) features a blind spot warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, front parking sensors and lane change/merge assist.
Other upgrades like speed sensitive steering ($325), Urbane wood inlays ($400) and Metallic paint ($560) finished out the options.
Total MSRP including destination: $49,350.
Interior Highlights
It all starts when you sit down, in our opinion, in the most comfortable front seats in any car, at any price on the planet. My wife agreed, and was comfortable even as I pulled off some spirited driving maneuvers on our way to dinner.
These seats could put Chiropractors out of business – they are that good!
The Volvo V60 Cross Country features a stylish interior with premium materials. The overall ambiance is one of understated luxury that accompanies some Swedish flair.
Other interior standouts are the Urbane wood and Shimmer Graphite aluminum inlays that gives the cabin a more upscale feel.
As much as the front seats are a standout, the rear seats offer minimal legroom and adults will not be comfortable on long trips. With the rear seats folded flat, there is a modest 43.8 cubic feet of cargo room which is less than the competition.
The 40/20/40-split design makes the best use of the space available and offers some flexibility for carrying additional cargo.
A feature dog owners will like, is the cargo area’s standard two-position, roll-out dog security net. With so many people owning dogs and carrying them in their vehicles, it’s a useful feature Volvo installed for our four-legged friends.
Volvo has been recognized in years past as being animal friendly.
Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
The 2015 Volvo V60 Cross Country is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder that produces 250 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. This AWD tester sends power to all four wheels by way of a six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission.
Fuel mileage estimates are 20/28 city/highway mpg and 23 combined mpg.
The fuel mileage will drop quickly as we found out this weekend if you like to use the available turbo power.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get anywhere near these numbers.
Driving Dynamics
The new Volvo V60 Cross Country sits up higher than other wagons and gives the driver a better view of the road. The Cross Country gets increased ground clearance, front and rear skid plates, side scuff plates, fender extenders and higher-profile tires on 18-inch wheels.
This makes it a good vehicle for those who live on rough or unpaved roads.
It also comes with traction technologies that include torque vectoring, corner traction control and Hill Descent Control, along with all-wheel drive.
The V60 Cross Country is an excellent all-weather vehicle and it handled well in the heavy rain and slick hail we had over the weekend in the Denver area.
The V60 Cross Country wagon is a fun vehicle to drive. The 2.5-liter 5 cylinder being turbocharged means it’s got plenty of power to have fun with. If we didn’t know this was a wagon, it would have fooled us into thinking it was a sports sedan.
The traction the all-wheel-drive offers is superb in all driving situations. While most owners won’t use this wagon for performance driving, it is available for the asking and it delivers in a strong way.
We would rate the V60 Cross Country a 8.5 on the fun to drive meter and that’s a strong mark for a vehicle designed to be a family hauler.
One thing we noticed is the Cross Country’s firmer ride due to the off-road tuned suspension. It’s ride is comfortable, but it can be firmer than other city crossovers and wagons. The V60 gives the driver a feeling confidence and security as the wagon is solid and quiet on the road at high speeds.
The 6-speed automatic shifted when it should and can be used manually with the Advanced Quick Shift setup. And the big disc brakes on all four corners brought us to a quick stop during our testing around the steeper mountain curves.
Volvo V60 rates very high in crash scores and the Platinum model comes loaded with safety features for families.
Conclusion
For a young family that’s active and doesn’t need a ton of cargo space, the Volvo V60 Cross Country is a good choice. You can take this wagon off-road and it will get you there safely. Owners who transport their four-legged friends will appreciate the standard dog security net.
The front seats are the best in any class and the cabin is first class and comfortable. Overall, we would rate the driving experience on the high side if you are a driving enthusiast.
The legroom in the back is tight for adults, but it won’t be an issue for the kids. Although customers looking for a larger Volvo may be more satisfied with the XC90.
