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Volvo Cars is bringing out the adventurous side of its cars even as it completes its 90 Series line-up with the unveiling of the long-awaited V90 Cross Country.
Volvo Cars has become synonymous with the rugged all-road, all-weather product category, with a growing stable of Cross Country models since it introduced the first Cross Country almost 20 years ago,
Volvo Cars’ Cross Country models fulfil an increasingly important part of the Swedish automaker’s product portfolio as luxury car buyers seek out a more experienced-based lifestyle that occasionally takes them off the beaten track.
“The new V90 Cross Country takes the elegance of the V90 and transforms it into an all-road car that delivers safety, comfort and performance in a capable and adventurous package,” President & CEO, Volvo Car Group, Håkan Samuelsson, said.
With some of the harshest winters on the planet and over 77 per cent of the country covered in forest and lakes, Sweden is the perfect place to develop and test extreme durability and all-weather capable cars. This hard-won expertise represents a large part of Volvo Cars’ heritage, reflected in the company’s Cross Country model line-up.
“Our cars are well known for their safety, strength and durability. With all-wheel drive, increased ride height, and a chassis optimised for comfort and control in all weather and road conditions, the new V90 Cross Country takes our versatile V90 estate and adds the heart of an explorer, “ Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars, ” Dr. Peter Mertens, said.
With Volvo Cars’ Scalable Product Architecture providing the underpinnings, the V90 Cross Country has undergone rigorous testing to ensure that it can survive the extremes in which it will ultimately find itself.
From secret testing facilities in the frozen north of Sweden, where temperatures regularly hit -40 degrees centigrade, to the searing desert heat of Arizona, where Volvo Cars performs its high temperature testing programme, the V90 Cross Country has been built to last.
With a design that clearly stands out from the crowd, the V90 Cross Country’s rugged character belies a sumptuous interior that delivers a level of luxury uncommon in the segment, combining all the benefits of the connectivity and entertainment features that were launched with the new S90 and V90, including a high-end sound system by Bowers & Wilkins.
The V90 Cross Country’s exterior design cues communicate the powerful and dynamic capability that the car exemplifies, while offering the flexibility to choose from both rugged and elegant expressions.
“Designing a Volvo Cross Country is not a styling exercise, a plastic job. It is based on honest capability. The Volvo V90 Cross Country brings a surprising and intriguing combination of a strong, powerful exterior and a luxurious, Scandinavian interior. It will continue the genuine tradition of the Volvo Cross Country with a new recipe: the blend of powerful off-road capability in a most elegant, sophisticated, tailored wagon suit,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Cars.
The new V90 Cross Country takes this well-established segment to a new level of comfort-inspired capability. Production of the car is set to start during the northern hemisphere autumn at Volvo Cars’ Torslanda Plant in Sweden.
The new Volvo V90 Cross Country is billed to arrive South Africa, with timing and availability currently in planning stages.
