The Volvo S60 is a beautiful entry-level luxury sedan which is unfortunately not as popular in the country as it is internationally. Blame it on the company being not very famous among the car buying public, or the prices being too high, thanks to them being directly imported, or the lack of sales/service points - the Volvo S60 has not been able to get anywhere near its competition which includes venerable names such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3-Series and the Audi A4. Chuck in the fact that Jaguar caught a lot of eyeballs at the 2016 Auto Expo and made people listen as they announced the prices of the new XE - the Volvo S60 seems to be destined to a permanent place in the shadows. But, Volvo has a trick up its sleeves - in the form of the radical S60 Cross Country.
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Just like the V40 Cross Country, the S60 Cross Country is a hopped up version of the S60 sedan - and the only one of its kind in its segment
What is it? The 2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country - a blended form of a sedan and a crossover based on the S60 sedan
How much does it cost? Rs. 40-47 Lakh, estimated ex-showroom, Delhi
What's new? A new body style - one part sedan/one part crossover, engine(s) shared with the S60 sedan, AWD drivetrain available with select engines, ride hide increased by a big margin, larger diameter wheels, features and equipment shared with S60 sedan.
Competition: No direct competition in terms of body-type, traditional sedans like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and Jaguar XE are offered at this price.
The Volvo S60 Cross Country has a 200mm ground clearance - giving it massive presence and be a practical soft-roader
In terms of dimensions, the Volvo S60 Cross Country is 4638mm long, 1867mm wide, 1539mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2774mm. Apart from the additional bits like the cladding around the wheel-arches, the obvious jacked-up height, skid-plates front and back, and the 18-inch (or optional 19-inch wheels), the S60 Cross Country does not get any additional exterior cosmetic updates over its sedan sibling.
You will feel like you are sitting in the S60 sedan when you step into the S60 Cross Country - while you may be seated higher, there is not enough space for the rear passengers
Inside, the S60 Cross Country is a carbon copy of the S60 sedan - the only difference being that you will be seated higher. Front seats are also the sportier kind, offered as standard, which leads to a snug fit. While the cabin may look and feel like the S60 sedan, which is not really a bad thing because it is minimalistic to the point of being beautiful and there is this reassuring feeling that most Volvo interiors seem to excude. What will be a problem for most will be the lack of rear seat space - the S60 sedan has one of the most cramped rear seats in the segment and that translates to the S60 Cross Country too.
Elements like the dual exahusts and the skid plates along with the classic design cues of the S60 sedan add to the sporty design of the S60 Cross Country
The S60 Cross Country will be offered with spare wheels and jack when it is launched in India, which will mean that there is less than sufficient storage space in the luggage compartment.
Drivetrain options for the S60 Cross Country in India have not been confirmed. Internationally, it is powered by three motors - a petrol and two diesels. The petrol motor is a 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder, turbocharged 'T5' unit developing 254PS pf maximum power and 360Nm of maximum torque with power sent to all four wheels via a 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission and a Haldex AWD system. The first diesel motor is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged 'D4' diesel motor developing 163PS of maximum power and 400Nm of maximum torque with power sent only to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. The top-of-the-line diesel variant is powered by a 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder, turbocharged diesel motor developing 205PS of maximum power and 420Nm of maximum torque using the same drivetrain as the AWD petrol variant.
The Volvo S60 Cross Country is offered with multiple powertrains internationally, Volvo India has not confirmed which of those is headed to India as of now
Feature-wise, the S60 Cross Country will be fitted with a 'Premium Sound' multimedia system, Volvo on Call assistance system, Sensus Connect smartphone connectivity, navigation system, park assist, etc.
The Volvo S60 Cross Country will be launched here on the 11th of March 2016 - stay tuned to Gaadi.com for more updates.