Volvo V90 Cross Country Engine & Performance

The V90 Cross Country gets the same 2.0 four cylinder diesel engine that powers the XC90 and the S90 but in the D5 spec. In this state of tune, the motor makes 235 horsepower and 480 Nm of maximum torque. The refinement is good too and you only hear the diesel clatter on startup. Acceleration is impressive off the line and there is no noticeable lag at all. This is thanks to the Power Pulse feature on the V90 Cross Country. This system stores compressed air in a canister via an air compressor and shoots it into the turbo helping to spool quicker making the engine respond from very low rpms. The mid-range is impressive as well. The eight speed gearbox has seamless shifts but is a little slow to respond when you want that quick downshift during spirited driving. Volvo gives you five driving modes. While performance is dull in Eco mode, Comfort offers a good balance for everyday driving. The steering feels light and body roll is prominently felt as well. Switch over to Dynamic and that’s when the car comes alive. Throttle response becomes better and the steering becomes heavier too. The suspension stiffens up and the car corners flat almost eliminating any sort of body roll. The V90 Cross Country is super fun to drive around twisties and the best part is that the car manages to hide its size very nicely, considering it is almost 5 meters long.  Off-Road mode works at speeds up to 40 kph. Once engaged, Hill Descent Control also gets activated. Power is automatically sent to the rear wheels when required. While we did not get into much off-roading, the car felt comfortable in mud tracks and fairly deep ruts. With that 210 mm ground clearance, it won’t scrape anywhere either. However those low profile tyres and 20 inch alloys could be prone to damage if you get too adventurous and will surely be an expensive affair to replace. It also has a water wading depth of 300 mm which is impressive. That said, we don’t see the V90 Cross Country venturing off the road with their owners. And for those who like to play around the various settings themselves, there’s an Individual mode as well.

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