Volvo’s New 2020 Fleet is a Marvel

A trio of slick 2020 Volvos that blend car and SUV traits, each in its own stylish way.

 

For many Floridians, there is only one season in which they can imagine visiting Canada: summer. Some credence was lent to that notion for me during a press drive I attended in August in Banff, Alberta, a couple hundred miles north of Montana, during which I saw some of the most glorious mountains and sweeping vistas of my life while driving a trio of slick Volvos. One was a high-performance version of Volvo’s mid-size XC60 SUV, the second a more rugged V60 wagon, and the last being the refreshed XC90 luxury SUV. One could say they all blend car and truck attributes, if in different proportions. And all seemed well-suited to Canada, and not just in summer. (Unlike me.)

2020 Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered
Realizing how today’s car-buyers love SUVs for more than just utility, Volvo has introduced a range-topping. performance-oriented version of its mid-size XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid. Starting with the most powerful of its gas-powered four-cylinder engines (Volvo uses only four-cylinder gas engines nowadays; no more V6s or V8s) Volvos adds an electric motor to the rear wheels and a few other performance tweaks like adjustable shocks and sport front seats. Admittedly, I only drove this one a couple dozen miles along a beautiful but busy highway with an unreasonably low speed limit—Canadians are nothing if not cautious—so I didn’t experience much by way of its performance limits. I can say, however, that it looks great with its blackout trim, big wheels and gold accents (including the seatbelts). And at $72,045 loaded with features and boasting 18 miles of electric range, it’s fairly priced, too.

2020 Volvo XC60
T8 Polestar Engineered
Price (includes delivery charge): $75,045
Body style: 4-door, 5-passenger SUV
Power: Turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter inline-4/rear electric motor: 415 hp, 494 lb-ft of torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drive wheels: All
Fuel economy, combined gasoline and electricity: 57 MPGe mpg
EV range: 18 miles

2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country
Like the aforementioned XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered, the V60 Cross Country has an interesting blend of car and SUV attributes, but whereas the former takes an SUV and makes it perform more like a car, the V60 Cross Country starts with a car and makes it more like an SUV. Specifically, this one is based on the sexy, mid-sized V60 wagon and raises its ground clearance to SUV levels, then adds an off-road driving mode and hill descent control, all of which helped us traverse some steep ski slopes to a mountaintop ski lodge with views that took our breath away. Or maybe it was the elevation. Either way, while I was wheezing, the car was not, equipped though it was with the weakest of the engine offerings in this trio of sweet Swedes: a 250-horsepower four-cylinder that, thanks to it deriving much of its power from turbocharging, is relatively impervious to altitude issues. Best of all, it looks great inside and out. The V60 is already one of the best-looking cars on the market, and the Cross Country’s higher stance, fender cladding and butched-up bumpers give it a bit more gravitas. And as with the V60, it’s available with awesome plaid seat inserts that I wouldn’t get one without.

2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country
Base price (includes delivery charge): $46,095
Body style: 4-door, 7-passenger SUV
Power: Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4: 250 hp, 258 lb-ft of torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drive wheels: All
Fuel economy, city/highway (mpg): 22/31

2020 Volvo XC90: How Swede It Still Is
Also in Banff, I spent some time in the eminently lovely XC90, which I recall describing as, “in a word, sublime” when we covered it nearly four years ago in the December 2015 issue. The big SUV led the charge for Volvo’s future as the first to debut the company’s slick new design language and common midsize-to-large vehicle architecture. As other Volvo models have fallen in line, Volvo made continuous minor improvements to the XC90—third-row seating is now standard, an ultra-luxurious, four-seat $100K+ “Excellence” version is available, and the processor behind the portrait-oriented infotainment screen became 50 percent quicker—but none of that had a detrimental effect on its calm, almost Zen character.

For 2020, the XC90 gets some styling updates in the form of a concave grille, new paint colors, a new six-seat (2+2+2) option, and wonderful optional soft wool upholstery. Still unchanged are the powertrain options, which include a 250-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, a 316-hp turbocharged and supercharged T6 model, and a plug-in hybrid model that adds electric power like the XC60 T8 for a combined output of about 410 hp. The T6 I drove felt exactly as lovely as it did before, which is a good thing. It’s hard to believe the XC90 is four years old already. That’s testament to how timeless it is, and likely shall remain.

2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country
Base price (includes delivery charge): $49,700–$104,900
Body style: 4-door, 4-, 6-, or 7-passenger SUV
Power: Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4: 250 hp, 258 lb-ft of torque (T5); 316 hp, 295 lb-ft (T6);415 hp, 494 lb-ft of torque (T8 plug-in hybrid)
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drive wheels: All
Fuel economy, city/highway (mpg): 21/30 (T5 FWD); 20/27 (T5 AWD); 18/26 (T6); 55 MPGe (T8 plug-in hybrid)

 

 

 

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