Station wagons are not particularly in demand in Russia. The same Mercedes-Benz C-class, BMW 3, Audi A4, although they exist in station wagon versions, are very rare on domestic roads, unlike sedans. Today’s guest of the Volvo V60 initially comes in a station wagon, but due to its low popularity it is difficult to meet it in Russia. In this case, the Swedes have one trump card that they successfully use, this is a modification of the Cross Country models, which makes a kind of crossover out of a classic station wagon. We have already talked about the Volvo V90 Cross Country, but today we will talk about its younger brother, the Volvo V60 Cross Country, which only recently came to our market.
Externally, the V60CC is almost an exact copy of its older brother, except for the dimensions and, sadly, two details that make the 60 not as bright and brutal as the V90CC. First, the line of the hood of the younger model goes down early, making it too sloping, and not like the older one, where it is smoother and visually stretches the hood. And secondly, the trunk is less sloped and looks a little chopped off, in the spirit of old Volvo station wagons. If I didn’t deceive myself, I called the V90CC the most beautiful station wagon, then the V60CC, although cute and in the spirit of Volvo, still does not look so charismatic and is more suitable for adults who like Swedish cars. From some angles, the V60CC looks interesting, and it can even be confused with the V90CC, but you start walking around the car in a circle and you realize that the younger model is still different and not all the decisions of the designers can be called successful and coloring the look of the car. The senior station wagon even forced young people to say “Wow!”, But in the 60s, adult motorists, owners of previous models of the brand, were interested only a few times.
These details aside, the V60 Cross Country is a clear-cut representative of the modern Volvo family, with its trademark wide grille, full-LED headlights with Thor’s hammer-shaped running lights, vertical taillights and large left-over side mirrors. Such a car cannot be confused with any other in the stream and at first glance you understand that this is a Volvo. Yes, you may have already noticed in the photos, but our V60CC has fogged up on the lower part of the headlights, I don’t know what it is. Perhaps something was wrong with our sample, but after washing, they fogged up and did not let them go for about six hours. No matter how much I drove a Volvo before, but this is the first time I’ve encountered this.
In the interior, the V60 Cross Country is almost an exact copy of its older brother, and in general, probably 80% of the details correspond to other modern models of the brand. A simple straight panel, which is divided along a beautiful curved ledge with decorative overlays, which can be made of different materials and presented in several colors. The proprietary display of the media system with a vertical orientation is also in place, turned slightly towards the driver, on the sides of which there are elongated air ducts. And also a straight tunnel with a recognizable and rather comfortable automatic transmission lever, a proprietary rotary engine start knob and a driving mode selection drum. In fact, if you have been in other modern Volvo, then the V60CC will not surprise you with anything, everything is neat and practical as standard. I like the interior of Swedish cars, it has some kind of charm in it, although I understand that there are many people who do not like it and who will find disadvantages in it.
Driving the V60CC will comfortably accommodate a driver of any height and build, branded optional seats have many electrical adjustments, so finding the optimal position for yourself is not a problem. In general, once again I am convinced that Volvo seats are one of the most comfortable on the market, quite rigid, with developed lateral support and the correct profile, even on the longest trips you do not get tired in them. Yes, it is possible that the basic seats for the Swedes are not so comfortable, but the optional ones always cause only delight, you feel so good in them. With a height of 187 cm, I calmly found a comfortable position for myself, the plus was also the fact that the pillow length adjustment is available for optional seats, and there were enough steering wheel adjustments in two planes with a margin. Despite the presence of a large panoramic roof, from which the bright interior became even more attractive, I did not rest my head against the ceiling and did not touch it with my head when landing.
I sit down by myself without any problems, the doorways are wide, the sill is low, so the landing process itself is already convenient. The back sofa turned out to be surprisingly comfortable, the knees do not rest on the front seat, there is enough legroom at the bottom, and the backrest has an optimal slope. As a passenger in the back in a Volvo V60CC, I would agree to go even on a long trip. There is also room for a child in the gallery, and installing a chair with Isofix is straightforward, just open the plastic covers and get free access to the mounts.
Despite the spacious interior, the Volvo V60 Cross Country also has a quite large trunk of 529 liters, it’s not for nothing that it’s still a station wagon. The luggage compartment is of the correct shape, with a flat floor, under which the dock is hidden, and a spacious niche with a net. You can increase the volume of the luggage compartment by folding the backrests of the rear sofa from the passenger compartment, which, when folded, form a flat floor. If you are transporting skis or something long, then a separate hatch for long items will come to the rescue. The luggage compartment door in our case was electrically operated, with the ability to open / close with a swing of the foot under the bumper, which is convenient when your hands are busy, as well as a separate button that completely closes the car.
The V60CC is equipped with a Sensus 9 ”vertical touchscreen media system. The display is not bad in quality, responsive, but the screen resolution would have been higher. True, in the current generation Volvo will not change anything, Sensus is being replaced by a new system based on the Android OS from Google, it has already been shown along with the premiere of the Volvo XC40 Recharge electric crossover. The new system will retain the familiar design, but otherwise it will be completely different.
The current solution is quite clear and logical, with three screens. The first one contains quick settings for the car in the form of icons, the second, which is also the main one, provides access to basic data such as navigation and the player in the form of horizontal tabs that can be expanded, and the third screen contains additional data. All basic settings are hidden in the shutter, similar to Android smartphones. In general, for those who are familiar with modern smartphones, Sensus will be immediately clear, the same gestures work here, and the logic of the menu is similar to mobile devices. In terms of speed, the system is not reactive, but on the whole it is quite acceptable, and the manufacturer hid some thoughtfulness with animation.
The user can install additional applications to the system from the set suggested by the manufacturer. The list includes weather, local Google search, which is integrated into the standard navigation, and, for example, the TuneIn program. All applications, as well as standard navigation maps, can be updated online, and media system updates are also available online. As an option, it is possible to control the car remotely from a smartphone via the Volvo On Call app, which is available for both Android and iOS. This program allows you not only to view statistics, but also to open or close the car, carry out a remote start, see the location of the car on maps in real time, and also give access to the car to relatives or friends (hello, Apple Car Key). The app has recently been updated to provide hybrid owners with information on how far they have traveled in pure electric mode, energy and fuel consumption.
What I don’t really like about Sensus is that the manufacturer has brought in there all the settings related to climate control. Yes, all data is always available at the bottom of the screen, and it is easy to reach them, but still this is not the most convenient solution, classic buttons and knobs would be much more convenient. On the other hand, the climate can be controlled with the help of a voice assistant, even the phrase “I’m cold / hot” is enough, and the system will immediately react. But most users, despite the proposed innovations, will always poke at the screen, and there is also not only temperature control, but also the inclusion of three-level seat heating and ventilation (if any), and even the inclusion of heating the steering wheel. For the last points, of course, I would very much like to see physical keys, since using them on the go on the touch screen is still a pleasure.
In the test car, wireless charging according to the Qi standard was available, it is located in the central tunnel in front of the cup holders. The wireless charging pad with a rubberized surface so that the device does not roll off, but not the largest, so that the smartphone does not completely fit on it in length. Please note that charging is disabled by default, as it can affect the operation of pacemakers, and to enable it, you need to go to the car settings, which is not entirely obvious. And we also had two USB-A’s in the armrest in our car, which in itself is not very convenient. Two more USB Type-Cs are located in the rear of the cabin, under a spring-loaded plug that will break wires when in use. Modern devices are not charged quickly from the car’s on-board network, but not very slowly, in general, even for a short trip, you can replenish the charge a little.
One device can be connected to the system via Bluetooth; simultaneous operation of several devices is not supported. The speakerphone works perfectly, the interlocutors always hear you well thanks to the two directional microphones in the upper part of the cabin. Of the pleasant features, it is worth noting that you can work with the latest calls from the virtual dashboard without being distracted by the central display, and data on an incoming call is displayed not only on it, but also on the head-up display.
Our car had a pre-installed navigation that can work with traffic jams, it is enough to connect the car to an access point via Wi-Fi, a 4G modem is available as an option for the car. The maps in the system are up-to-date, the company says that they are updated once a quarter, and the system builds the optimal route. The only thing is that for some reason navigation does not give the exact time of arrival, taking into account traffic jams, it is always calculated without them, and the visual design of the maps is not the most beautiful. Navigation tips are displayed on the virtual dashboard in projection, you can also enable constant display of the map between devices in the settings. If you do not have a navigation option in the car, then simple maps based on HERE will still be available (standard navigation is also built on them), but with access only when connected to the Internet, with very simple construction along the route and without the possibility of normal scaling. And also the car has support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the latter without wireless connectivity.
There was a complete set of electronic driver assistants in our test car. I note an excellent picture from all-round cameras, which makes parking even in the most difficult places much easier, and a blind spot monitoring system with visual indication in the mirrors, although large V60CC mirrors, set on legs, allow you to orient yourself well without it. And also a warning system when driving in reverse, which avoids collisions with perpendicular traffic. And, of course, it is worth noting the Pilot Assist system, which allows the car to move almost autonomously, no matter in a traffic jam or on the highway. The system is one of the best on the market, it responds well to the situation, smoothly slowing down and accelerating the car, but at the same time always keeping in the stream. All control rests on the glossy buttons on the steering wheel, they look flat, but thanks to their large size, they are easy to operate even blindly. The assistant allows you to release the steering wheel for 10 seconds, but then asks you to put your hands back on the steering wheel. But it should be borne in mind that Pilot Assist is not a full-fledged autopilot, so the driver should always be ready at all times, and the assistant just makes driving easier and allows you to avoid trouble if you are a little distracted.
All Pilot Assist operating tips are displayed on a 12.3 ”virtual instrument cluster, where you can select a display theme from four available options. It also displays tips on road restrictions, which are transmitted from a camera on the windshield that reads road signs. There will also be information about calls, as well as about the musical composition, and even with album covers. And we also had a good head-up display, which displays almost all the same information as on the dashboard. Yes, there are no particular questions about the virtual dashboard, but it’s time to increase the display resolution.
In terms of comfort, the car is quite good, the cabin is mostly quiet, the four-zone climate control works smoothly and very delicately, so you go and enjoy the ride. The suspension copes well with most irregularities, and in the cabin only hitting potholes with sharp edges is given. Even on a dirt road with holes, the V60CC behaves very decently, providing comfort to passengers and at the same time confidently passing obstacles. Yes, the ground clearance of 210 mm and a skirt made of unpainted plastic along the contour, coupled with small overhangs, a flat bottom and all-wheel drive, quite allow you to drive off the Cross Country from the highway and storm not only country roads, but also light off-road, for the latter there is a separate mode in the settings Off Road. Of course, 90% of the owners of such a car will drive off the asphalt to a gravel road at most, but suddenly someone gets a little lost and, like me, will have to ride off-road.
In Russia, the car is still presented with only one T5 gasoline engine, already Euro 6, with a capacity of 249 hp. in conjunction with an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. Such a car rides very cheerfully, according to the passport, acceleration to 100 km / h takes 6.8 seconds, but at the same time it is quite gluttonous and eats about 13 liters in the city, although we had very little mileage and over time, most likely, it will moderate its appetite. In driving, this is a typical Volvo, very obedient, tuned in to a smooth, unhurried manner of movement, completely suppressing any attempts of the driver to misbehave. True, if necessary, it allows you to accelerate without problems, the box quickly reacts to the pushing of the accelerator, quickly and correctly begins to sort out the steps. The owner of a Volvo V60 Cross Country will always feel confident and safe at the wheel, another question is that you don’t really play on it, but given that the car does not have this, there are probably no problems here.
The price of a Volvo V60 Cross Country in our market starts at 3 rubles, and when I assembled a test car version in the configurator, it approached at a price of almost 199 rubles. I don’t know, I seem to like the car, but if I chose something in this segment in the range of 000 million, then perhaps I would have looked closely at the V4 Cross Country with a diesel engine, albeit in a slightly simpler configuration.
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