Volvo Auto India are about to introduce their first wagon in India in the form of the luxurious V90 Cross Country. We drove it in the icy north on snowy tarmac and a lake of ice.
Estates aren’t the most popular cars in India. For whatever reason, people prefer sedans for their “prestige” factor. However, if you think of an estate as a long hatchback – even the regular size of which is immensely practical – you can see how versatile it is.
The ‘V’ is for ‘versatility’ and the V90 has that in spades across its five-metre length. At 4,939 mm long, it’s as long as many premium saloons, but with a massive-r boot and a just as credible interior and driveline. The V90 Cross Country adds 60 millimetres of ground clearance and gets a more butch exterior too. There will be just one variant on offer in India loaded with the goodies, including radar-assist systems, air suspension and a twin-turbo diesel all-wheel driveline.
That’s right, the V90 Cross Country D5 AWD is the model heading to India, and we believe that it will be priced in the Rs 60-65 lakh bracket – squarely between the S90 and the XC90. The V90 XC is the latest version of the ‘V XC’ line which began 20 years ago with the V70 XC back in 1997. That had a 2.5-litre in-line five turbo-petrol with 193 PS. The latest to roll off the line now, and the one that’s headed here, is the 235-PS 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel, PowerPulse and all.
We drove the V90 XC D5 AWD on winter tyres with studs, so the handling, although unfathomably brilliant, will not be as relevant to Indian roads, unless you head north with winter tyres to places like Shimla, Kufri or the roads to Leh, that is. With winter tyres mandatory at this time of the year in Sweden, the speed limits of 70 km/h (and 90 km/h on some stretches) were a bit of a shocker to all of us driving because, on ice, the best we dared to do at first was 40-50 km/h before realising that, while it was slippery to walk on, these tyres, and the car, in fact, held on to the ice much better. Soon, we were up to speed limits with ease.
That’s what’s different. While other brands may go to the cold north to test their cars, Volvos are built here by the people who live here, driving them every day and Sunday over ice, slush, snow, narrow iced roads and occasional glimpses of tarmac. That makes them well-versed with how the cars handle in all environments, while also being able to fine-tune the suspension set-up for optimal driving dynamics. On the road, the studded tyres give more than adequate confidence and it’s only an overzealous throttle input that actually manages to kick out the tail on occasion. Even so, the handling was an eye-opener.
The V90 XC D5 AWD has the same powerplant as the S90, with the PowerPulse twin-turbo diesel 2.0 four-pot making all of 235 PS at 4,000 rpm with a very usable 480 Nm of torque available between 1,750 and 2,250 rpm. The eight-speed automatic transmission sends the power through the latest AWD coupling and, using the drive modes, can be set to be rear-biased, too. Yummy!
Weighing about 1,950 kg, the V90 XC D5 AWD behaves likes a sub-compact hatch, thanks to its set-up. The torque on tap makes it nimble and the PowerPulse – the pressurised air canister mounted with the engine to inject air and compensate for turbo-lag – makes it extremely responsive. The added ratios – remember, the older D5s had two less ratios and one more cylinder – feel nicer and harness the power even better than before.
The drive modes include, among Comfort and Eco, AWD and Sport, the latter of which allows for rear-biased power transmission making it eager and quick off the line, too. All of this while enjoying a cabin appointed in fine leather and brushed metal, with a choice of wood trim invariably headed to India.
The V90 XC is a five-seater and has powered everything at the front, with a rear seat you can sink into and enjoy the ample legroom it provides. The car we had also had heating for seats, which is rather needed when the frozen lake you’re driving on has an air temperature that varies between -8°C and -16°C. Speaking of which…
The V90 Cross Country, with its near-2-tonne weight, behaved admirably on ice. After a master lap to get us acquainted, we were asked to switch off the Electronic Stability Control and engage ‘Sport’. Right! The first thing to get used to was minimal steering input and controlling the car using only the accelerator with a dab of the brakes on occasion. After running into the snow banks on the side of the makeshift track crafted out of the frozen lake on the two-foot-thick ice, we eventually began getting a hang of it.
While very few will actually, if ever, drive on ice here, the V90 XC will be a great choice for those looking at a luxury estate they can use every day, with all the tech and comfort one could possibly need. At its expected Rs-60-lakh price-tag, it could very well be priced at half of what the only other estate on sale in India is at the moment – the bonkers Rs-1.35-crore 560-PS Audi RS 6 Avant. Unlike its German ‘rival’ though, it offers 210 mm of ground clearance, and load-compensating suspension. The power tailgate and power-fold rear seats add more value to the equipment list. Not only is the V90 everything practical and versatile, with its huge tablet-like touch-interface, it packs all the necessary connectivity and conveniences and looks, just as the S90, like a vision of the future; Thor’s Hammer LED lighting and all.
Volvo Auto India will launch the V90 Cross Country D5 AWD in the second quarter of 2017. Look forward to a proper road test soon.
Story: Jim Gorde
