The Volvo S60 Cross Country is an off-roading version of the S60 sedan. It is targeted at buyers who want the features and mannerisms of a sedan, but can take their vehicle off-roading occasionally. It serves as a niche segment in our country but definitely offers more than what a sedan can offer, pitting it right against some entry-level crossovers in India. We take a close look at the specifications of this car while comparing it with the BMW X1 and the Audi Q3 crossover.
The Volvo S60 Cross Country has a length of 4,637mm making it the longest vehicle amongst these. The BMW X1 and Audi Q3 measure 4,439mm and 4,385mm in length respectively. The new Volvo is wider as it measures 1,866mm as against the width of the X1 at 1,821mm and Q3 at 1,831mm. At more than 1,600mm in height, these cars are however taller than the Cross Country which measures just 1,539mm in height. Nevertheless, a wheelbase of 2,774mm should bring in more space in its cabin. The wheelbase of the X1 is 2,670mm and the Q3’s 2,603mm.
Another USP of the Cross Country is its ground clearance. At a whopping 201mm, its stands taller than the Q3 at 170mm and the X1 at 165mm. As compared to the boot space of the Cross Country of 380litres, the Q3 and X1 can accommodate more luggage at 460 and 420litres respectively.
The cabin of all these cars is equipped with similar instrumentation, entertainment and comfort features like leather seats, automatic climate control, rear AC, infotainment system etc. The Cross Country gets conventional projector headlamps unlike the LED ones on the X1 and Q3, but it gets cornering headlamps that are missing on the other two. All the three cars get six airbags, but the new Volvo gets dual-stage airbags and in addition, a middle rear three-point seatbelt as well. ABS and EBD with ESP are standard on all these vehicles, but the Cross Country gets brownie points for having hill descent control, a rear camera with guidance and an electrically adjustable sunroof. And yet, the crossovers have an advantage over the Volvo as the 60:40 split seats can be folded down for making additional space.
A four-wheel-drive system is common in all these cars that are available in the diesel engine option. The BMW X1 is powered by a 2.0-litre inline-four diesel engine that belts out 188bhp of power and 400Nm of torque. The Audi Q3 also gets a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel mill but has a power output of 174bhp and 380Nm of torque. This is where the Volvo Cross Country stands out with its bigger 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel powerplant that contests the power out of the X1 at 188bhp but produces more torque at 420Nm. The X1 gets an eight-speed automatic gearbox and the Q3 has its seven-speed s-tronic ‘box. The Cross Country, on the other hand, just gets a six-speed automatic transmission.
Volvo has upped the game with the pricing of the S60 Cross country that costs Rs 38.9 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). This is slightly more than the Audi Q3 35 TDI Premium Plus that costs Rs 37.9 lakh. However, Volvo’s new kid on the block is still cheaper than the top-of-the-line BMW X1 xDrive20d M Sport, which is priced at Rs 39.9 lakh.
