2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country Road Test and Review

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Long before SUVs became the default body-type choice for the majority of today’s buyers – even decades before minivans had their moment in the sun – Volvo was (and has been) a player in the U.S. station wagon market. The current offerings from the Swedish brand are a far cry from its cereal-box upright wagons of the 1970s through the 1990s. Today, Volvo sells the compact V60 Cross Country and the mid-size V90 Cross Country. The V60 wagon was all new for 2020. Six years later, it still cuts a fine figure with sleek lines and a low, ground-hugging stance. The front pays tribute to the 1800 sports car and its low, wide, oval-esque grille. A coupe-like roofline reinforces the V60’s sporty yet luxurious curbside appeal.

So, in one car, you can have the handsome looks and easy access of a sleek, low-slung sedan mated to the cargo versatility of a crossover SUV with a skootch more ground clearance for the occasional dirt road adventure. No need for two vehicles.

With final assembly in Ghent, Belgium, the V60 Cross Country is available in just Plus and Ultra trims for 2025 now that the slow-selling, high-performance Polestar Engineered plug-in model has been discontinued. A single mild-hybrid powertrain with all-wheel drive provides power. Base prices range from the low- to mid-$50,000 range, although as this is written, the effect of pending import tariffs is unclear. Our test car featured the top Ultra trim.

Among station wagon competitors to the Volvo V60 Cross Country, there is the Subaru Outback on the low end, Audi A4 Allroad and Toyota Crown Signia in similar price territory, and the slightly larger Audi A6 Allroad, Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain, and Volvo’s own V90 Cross Country.

SUV Alternative

Whether you are biking in Boise or shopping for Talavera in Tucson, the 2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country is flexible enough to handle many lifestyle proclivities. In profile, the appeal of the V60 Cross Country comes into sharper focus. No storage unit on wheels, it has the sleek lines of a luxury car with a sporty sloping roofline and offers the cargo space of a compact crossover or SUV. Just an inch longer than the recently discontinued Volvo S60 sedan but offering more than quadruple the cargo space, the V60 Cross Country brings equal doses of luxury and practicality. Getting in and out is as easy as in a sedan, even with the Cross Country’s 2 inches of added ground clearance. The look over the dashboard won’t give you vertigo, either.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Scandinavian Charm

The V60 Cross Country features an artistically pleasing horizontally themed dash which sweeps into the doors with tastefully executed wood inlays and metallic accents. The 12.3-inch driver-configurable digital dash offers several display choices, including one that moves the navigation map into the center of the dash display, nestled between the gauges, which frees up the center infotainment screen for other items. The Ultra trim comes standard with head-up display at the bottom of the windshield for viewing vehicle speed, turn-by-turn directions, and other information directly in the driver’s field of view.

The dash is devoid of most switchgear, with climate control functions moved to the center display and other items to the steering wheel. A notable difference compared to other wagons with a pushbutton start/stop, however, is a unique, console-mounted twist-knob ignition switch. Upscale Ultra models also get an artsy Orrefors crystal shifter and a wrapped and stitched upper dashboard pad. Just about everything else the front seaters touch is either generously padded or soft-touch, from the door panels and armrests to the center console.

The base Pure comes with a dual-zone automatic climate control, while the Ultra upgrades to a four-zone system, enabling rear-seat passengers to dial in their preferred comfort settings. Our test car had a heated steering wheel, which was welcome on cold winter mornings and is available as part of the optional climate package.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Fire Your Chiropractor

As you’d expect in a Volvo, the V60 Cross Country’s front seats are ergonomic. Sitting in either front bucket seat is akin to being cradled by a giant hand. They’re shaped to offer generous but comfortable support in all of the right places, including the lower torso and thighs. Although the Pure trim offers the expected leather covering, heated and power-operated adjustments, the top Ultra trim adds even nicer-to-the-touch, perforated and double-stitched Nappa leather hides, front-seat ventilation, and power-adjustable lower torso seatback lateral bolsters and an extendable longitudinal thigh support for longer-legged drivers like me. Power lumbar adjustment for both front seats is two-way on the base Pure model and four-way for the Ultra. Programmable seat memory settings are included for the driver in the Pure and for both front seats in the Ultra. A front seat massage function, however, is unavailable.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Infotainment and Connectivity

The V60 Cross Country comes with a 9-inch portrait-format infotainment touchscreen. The look is a bit dated next to the latest free-standing, landscape-format screens in some competitors, but the functionality has been updated with a Google-based system that brings continuously updated Google Maps (with real-time traffic and re-routing options) and “Hey Google” point-of-interest voice control search capability, as well as built-in Google Play app access. The Google built-in function is complementary for the first four years of ownership and available by paid subscription after that. Screen tiles are a bit small for accurate tapping in a moving car traveling on a less-than-glass smooth road, but steering wheel buttons and the aforementioned voice control can come to the rescue. The Volvo V60 conveniently includes a physical “home” button at the bottom center of the screen, and below that is an artfully functional combined physical rotary volume knob.

Apple Car Play and Android Auto cellphone mirroring are onboard as standard equipment. The base model features a 10-speaker, 220-watt AM/FM stereo with HD Radio. The Ultra upgrades to a 14-speaker, 600-watt Harman Kardon premium audio system for richer sound. The test car was equipped with the optional Bowers and Wilkins surround sound system that’s capable of delivering an immersive, concert hall-like listening experience.  A free 90-day trial of SiriusXM satellite radio is included with all systems.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Accommodating Rear Seat

Although not as form-fitting as the front bucket seats, the outboard positions of the three-passenger 60/40 split rear bench seat cradle the lower torso with nicely supportive seatbacks and optional heated cushions. There’s sufficient legroom and headroom back there for tall drivers, but with just two rear passengers, a fold-down center armrest with dual cup holders add comfort and convenience. A pass-through door behind the center armrest allows you to carry longer items such as skis. The rear seat sections recline, great for moon watching through the standard panoramic sunroof. The seatbacks fold nearly flat with cargo floor, although there is a slight ramp up at the front.

A handy V60 Cross Country feature that’s uncommon in the market are power-operated rear seat headrests. In situations where there’s no one sitting in a rear seat, the driver can push a button on the dash to lower the headrests to improve rearward visibility.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Open Sesame

The more practical side of the V60 Cross Country’s dual personality comes into focus the minute you open up its commodious cargo compartment. At 60.5 cubic feet with the 60/40 rear bench seat folded down, total cargo space is in crossover SUV territory in terms of length. There’s ample room for sliding in a couple of mountain bikes, that big-screen television you just got on sale at the local big-box store, or maybe even a loveseat. Also making it easy to load up is the power-operated liftgate which can be operated via a dash switch, the key fob, or optionally via a foot pump under the rear bumper. Despite the Cross Country’s slightly raised ground clearance, the low liftover height of the cargo opening aids loading and unloading. Ultra models add the convenience of a cargo area 12-volt power plug.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Long on Safety

It’s no surprise that a car manufacturer that first put three-point front seatbelt harnesses in its cars more than 60 years ago is serious on safety. That’s why all safety and advanced driver assistance system technology is standard in the V60 Cross Country, not lurking in extra-cost optional packages as in some competitor’s vehicles.

To that end, the 2025 V60 Cross Country packs an extensive kit of collision mitigation and ADAS tech. Standard fare include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping with haptic steering-wheel feedback, forward-collision warning and avoidance, front, rear, and side parking assist, a 360-degree camera, road-sign information, blind-spot monitoring with emergency countersteering, and a rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking. Also included is Pilot Assist, which combines adaptive cruise control with lane centering and an inattentive driver-alert system. 

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Mild Hybrid Under the Hood

Perky and with a pleasantly crisp throttle response, the Volvo V60 Cross Country’s B5 mild hybrid system provides 247 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It consists of a 2.0-liter turbocharged, four-cylinder engine equipped with an engine belt-driven starter/generator and a small 48-volt battery that work to enhance throttle response, smooth-out starts from rest, and recharge the system when coasting or applying the brakes, thus enhancing engine efficiency and fuel economy.

Unlike conventional hybrid vehicles with a large propulsion battery, the V60 Cross Country wagon can’t operate on electric power alone, even for a short distance. The system works in the background, smoothing the power flow and filling in the gaps in torque during the eight-speed automatic transmission’s shifts. It works seamlessly in the background. The maximum tow rating is 2,000 pounds.

The EPA rates the V60 Cross Country at 24 mpg city/31 mpg highway/27 mpg combined. During my week of testing the V60, the dash readout indicated an average of 28.1 mpg. Runs from rest to 60 mph averaged just over 7 seconds by my phone’s stopwatch feature.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

On and Off the Road

The V60 Cross Country’s standard Touring chassis delivers smooth on-road ride quality and composed handling that’s great for fun excursions and the everyday commute alike. The test car’s generously sized optional 245/40R20 Pirelli P Zero all-season tires offer a likeable mix of grip and turn-in response that’s a step or two up from the standard 215/55R18 skins on the base Plus and 235/45R19s shod on the Ultra. Steering is a bit light but precise and firms up somewhat at highway speeds. Braking is confidence-inspiring with a firm pedal response. It is not a sport wagon, however, in the tradition of, say, a BMW M 5-Series wagon, but rather a sporty and luxurious five-passenger car that also offers great cargo versatility. 

The V60 Cross Country is not suitable for steep slopes or rock climbing, but its raised suspension offers a generous 8.1 inches of ground clearance. All-wheel drive and hill descent control are standard; however there are no locking differentials to come to the rescue if, per chance, the wagon becomes high centered. It handles gravel roads with aplomb. Harder trails would require swapping the all-season tires for more aggressive all-terrain treads, but that’s not really what the V60 Cross Country is all about. Consider it an all-weather, all-road, all-wheel-drive conveyance.

There are some drive mode options, accessed via the center screen. Comfort is the default setting, and it fits the V60 Cross Country’s personality well. The Polestar Engineering mode is really Sport mode by a different name, and it optimizes throttle response and gearshift timing but dings fuel economy. The Offroad mode purports to aid low-speed driving in rough terrain and activates hill descent control.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Conclusion

Station wagons may not be for everyone, but today’s offerings are a far cry from the fake-wood-festooned land yachts that once inhabited the roadways. The 2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country is an easy-on-the-eyes, right-sized luxury car with road manners and fuel economy akin to a compact sedan but cargo versatility approaching that of a compact crossover sport utility. No relic of the past, the V60 Cross Country is powered by a fuel-efficient mild hybrid powertrain with standard all-wheel drive and is packed with the latest in Google-based infotainment and a full complement of standard safety and advanced driver assistance system technology.

2025 Volvo V60 Cross Country ・ Photo by Ron Sessions