2024 Volvo V60: wagon love remains
With the 2024 Volvo V60, largely unchanged from the previous year's model, the Swedish carmaker continues its long-standing reputation. It makes a modern-day station wagon, solidly built and stoic on the road. The poorer the weather, the better its performance.
All of the manufacturers who make wagons pay some reverence to the originals. But gone are the trundle suitcases stacked to the tops of the automotive workhorses and tied together with rope.
Wagons' heydays are more than a half-century ago. But the 2024 Volvo V60 Cross Country does everything about a wagon right.
The V60 was updated in 2023 with a mild-hybrid standard and a new powertrain, the B5. It's the same for 2024. It has 247 horsepower, slightly less than 2022 miles. It comes standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The mild hybrid uses the electrical system to power the auxiliary functions of the car.
Technology and convenience features have also been improved. Google stuff — maps, play and voice assistant — are standard and over-the-air updates are now also available.
The exterior also has a more modern front grille and rear bumper. Once a one-trim-only wagon, Volvo now offers the Plus and Ultimate. Superior additions highlight the Ultimate trim included 19-inch wheels and scuff plates.
But it's the interior that showcases the upscale model at its best. Station wagons in their 25-year reign leading into the early 1970s had comfort, space and large vehicle safety for occupants. All remain with the 2024 Volvo V60 Cross Country, but showcasing an interior decorator's keen skills.
Top-end Volvos include a crystal gear shift knob made by Orrefors, the Swedish glassworks company. Driver's comfort is enhanced with a seat cushion extender, power side bolsters and improved ventilation. The Nappa leather is complemented by a Driftwood-style decor.
A traditional modern Swedish dashboard further adds to the luxury feel and look. It's classy; a description rarely applied to GM, Ford, Chevy and Rambler station wagons from the 1960s.
The Volvo V60 Cross Country in its Ultimate trim is standard with a 14-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system with an air-ventilate subwoofer. It's not quite symphonic, but it's a quality road companion.
The test vehicle likely further pleased music enthusiasts. A Bowers and Wilkins sound system was one of two $3,200 extras, with the 20-inch, 7-spoke wheels with all-season tires also the same cost. With a base price of around $54,000, the major options and a handful of other extras pushed the price to $63,000. Gas mileage averages are 22 miles per gallon in city driving, 31 mpg on the highway. Acceleration from 0-to-60 miles per hour takes 6.6 seconds.
Some station wagons once had room for nine occupants, but super-sized vehicles are long gone. The 2024 Volvo V60 Cross Country is touted with seating for five, which may be accurate only if the back-seat occupants are medium-sized at best. Cargo space is plentiful, with 25.5 cubic feet without any seat reconfiguring. Maximum cargo capacity is 60.5 cubic feet.
Volvo's reputation has vastly improved in recent years. Once boxy and slow, the lineup is modern and stylish with a European persona. Yes, Geely, the Chinese carmaker, bought Volvo in 2010, but Volvo manufacturing is a global enterprise without China. The 2024 Volvo V60 Cross Country is still Swedish in origin, with parts also from Poland and Japan. Its final assembly is in Belgium.
Since its debut in the United States in 1955, safety has been the Volvo signature. It remains the carmaker's strength. Driver's lane-keeping assist, lane-departure, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection and a handful of other additional safety items are standard. Adaptive cruise control with a semi-autonomous driving mode is available.
Considering its origin, Volvo vehicles have long been favored by mountain dwellers and endurance sports athletes who need reliable, secure and spacious vehicles for their equipment and for driving in sometimes quickly changing conditions. It's what Volvo does best.
James Raia, a syndicated automotive journalist in Sacramento, also writes about sports, travel and lifestyle topics for several publications. Email:
