2020 Volvo V60 T5 AWD Cross Country Makes A Strong First Impression

The 2020 Volvo V60 T5 AWD Cross Country is a premium, five-passenger Scandanavian-design-inspired Swedish-built station wagon. Volvo's formula has been refined a bit over the past decade, but it has been building premium wagons longer than there have been crossovers. If you really don't want the easier entry and exit, the better view of the road, and better use of a given vehicle footprint for cargo volume that a crossover offers, Volvo still makes what you do want. A station wagon that handles and feels like a premium sedan from behind the wheel.

We wish we could bring you a full formal review. We had planned a trip to rural New England in the height of mud and slush season to test out Volvo's all-wheel-drive system, but the COVID-19 pandemic put the kibosh on that plan. We were grateful to have this Volvo wagon as our last press vehicle for a while. Here's our first impression report of this great wagon.

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Volvo Look
Approaching the 2020 V60 T5 AWD Cross Country, one is struck by how well the wagon shape can be modernized. The 2020 V60 T5 AWD Cross Country looks sharp and sleek. If a crossover's profile turns you off, this is your salvation. From the front and back, the car has a familiar look to it. You know it's a Volvo.

Volvo Ambiance
Inside, the 2020 V60 T5 AWD Cross Country offers the driver a premium experience that takes what Subaru offers in its Outback and ups the ante. The soft leather surfaces and classy elegance of the design is a Volvo signature. The waterfall-inspired infotainment display has its own character. Everything works. And it works very nicely. You feel the added effort and expense in this vehicle. Unlike some luxury models we have tested the 2020 V60 T5 AWD Cross Country seems like a fair value. Our test car had an as-tested price of $56,990 including destination charges. Fully $4,000 of that price is the optional Bowers and Wilkins sound system.

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Volvo Performance
During our brief drive test, the 2020 V60 T5 AWD Cross Country proved to be a smooth operator. The 2.0-liter boosted engine had excellent linearity and low-end torque. Around town, the V60 T5 AWD Cross Country is always comfortable and seems to have just the right amount of punch when you call for a quick start. Handling felt sharp, and overall, the car was a joy to drive.

Volvo Practicality
With up to 51 cubic feet of cargo volume, the V60 wagon is a vehicle that has a lot of available space for college move-in days. That is just a smidge more than the Volvo XC60 crossover offers, but quite a bit less than the 76 cubic feet the Outback can offer. A taller roofline has its advantages. We checked under the cargo area's floor and were pleased to find a compact spare tire. Good job Volvo.

Volvo Safety
Every driver aid was included in the V60 T5 AWD Cross Country. But, that is true of every new vehicle have tested recently. The latest V60 tested by IIHS was rated a Top Safety Pick. No surprise there.

We see quite a few comments under stories and in forums that express a desire by readers to have a premium, European station wagon available. This one seems to check every box. Volvo sells about 300 of these cars per month in the United States, about 1/7th the number it sells of the XC60 crossover. If you are part of that vocal minority, know that this car is fantastic, and should satisfy the desires of any wagon devotee.

John Goreham is a life-long car nut and recovering engineer. John's focus areas are technology, safety, and green vehicles. In the 1990s, he was part of a team that built a solar-electric vehicle from scratch. His was the role of battery thermal control designer. For 20 years he applied his engineering and sales talents in the high tech world and published numerous articles in technical journals such as Chemical Processing Magazine. In 2008 he retired from that career and dedicated himself to chasing his dream of being an auto writer. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin.