Some of the least well-known new cars are among the ones most looking into. The catch: If you don't know it exists, it's not likely you'll be looking into it.
One of these is Volvo's V90 wagon.
In the first place because it's a wagon — rather than another crossover. In the second, because it's priced thousands less than the better-known wagons offered by Audi (A6 Allroad) and Mercedes (E450), and you'll probably be able to get an even better deal on one because Volvo is looking for customers — rather than the other way around.
There are, of course, some catches. But the big ones are subjective — such as how much engine (and power) you get for the money. Objectively, this Volvo wagon makes a pretty good argument for itself.
If you can hear it.
What It Is
The V90 Cross Country is the wagon version of the S90 sedan, which Volvo stopped selling last year because it wasn't selling very well. The wagon has the quality the S90 lacked that accounts for why crossovers sell so well — plenty of room in an expansive cargo area as opposed to not much space in a small trunk — without being just another crossover SUV.
Volvo sells the V90 Cross Country in just one well-equipped trim — the B6 Ultra — which stickers for $57,295. It comes standard with a turbo-supercharged 2.0-liter engine, eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive and about 8 inches of ground clearance, which gives it crossover-like ability on snow days without being another crossover SUV.
There are only two other similar wagons in the class. The first is the Audi A6 Allroad, and the second is the Mercedes-Benz E450. They are about the same size and offer about the same cargo-carrying capacity, along with the extra ground clearance (versus a sedan) and standard AWD that makes them good snow-day vehicles.
The main difference is their cost — versus the Volvo.
The A6 Allroad lists for $73,100 to start. The Mercedes E450 starts at $78,300. That's a roughly $15,000-$20,000 price difference that you might like to know about.
What's New for 2026
There's now only one trim available this year — and 2026 will (apparently) be the V90 wagon's last year before it, too, is retired.
What's Good
— Crossover SUV versatility — without being another crossover SUV.
— Much more attractively priced than its rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
— Unusual turbocharged and supercharged engine.
What's Not So Good
— Rivals come standard with bigger (much stronger) six-cylinder engines.
— LCD touch screen interface's icons are small and so hard to accurately tap while the car is moving.
— "Driver Assistance" tech can be pushy.
Under the Hood
Of the three wagons in this class, the Volvo is the only one that comes standard (and is only available with) a four-cylinder engine. It is also the only wagon in this class that has an engine that's both turbocharged and supercharged — the latter electrically, to bring up the boost immediately. Mechanically driven turbochargers rely on the buildup of exhaust gas pressure to generate boost. This takes a moment, one that can often be felt. Volvo's idea was to use an electrically driven supercharger to bridge the "boost gap" by using the electrically driven supercharger. In addition, the drivetrain features so-called mild hybrid augmentation, which is used to cycle the engine off whenever possible, to increase gas mileage and reduce CO2 gas "emissions," both being necessary for compliance reasons.
The combo produces 295 horsepower, enough to get the V90 to 60 mph in about six seconds. An eight-speed automatic and AWD are standard.
This wagon is also rated to pull up to 3,500 pounds.
Both the Audi A6 Allroad and the Mercedes E450 wagon come with larger, stronger 3.0-liter six-cylinder engines; the Audi's touts 335 horsepower, and the MB's touts 375 horsepower. Both can get to 60 mph about a second sooner — but it's a costly second sooner.
On the Road
The main driving difference here is that it's unusual to not be driving a crossover. Something different — for once — is pleasant in its own right. It's nice, also, to drive something that behaves like a car instead of a crossover.
A great deal of work has gone into making crossovers ride and handle more like cars — and they generally do, in terms of not feeling tipsy or bouncy due to their generally higher ride height. But most also have stubby front and rear ends that can make them feel smaller than they are, from the point of view of the driver.
When you sit behind the wheel of the V90, you look across a long hood rather than a stubby front clip. Even though the V90 is built around a front-wheel-drive/AWD chassis, it has the look of a large, rear-drive car as you look ahead, down the road. This is a small thing, perhaps, but it is also a very different thing versus all the other crossovers out there.
The V90's turbo-supercharged engine isn't as potent as the bigger sixes in the A6 Allroad and Benz E450, but it's certainly potent enough. The ability to get to 60 mph in six seconds — in a wagon — matches the capabilities of an early 2000s Mustang GT. And this is a Volvo wagon, after all. The electric supercharger does a good job of making the little 2.0-liter four feel bigger than it is — by making the transition to turbo-boosted power seamless.
Volvo might have allowed just a little sound — the good kind — to get through to the passenger compartment. A little bit of turbo whistle or even supercharger whine, when the driver asks for maximum power. But Volvo — like just about every other vehicle manufacturer — has gone to great lengths to make the engine (and the turbo and the supercharger) operate as quietly as possible, and this is — arguably — a mistake because it makes no impression. Put another way, it does not convey anything special about a Volvo — by the way it sounds. Related is this business of covering engines with bleak black plastic covers, so you can't see what the engine looks like.
At the Curb
The V90 is 195.2 inches long and so qualifies as midsize. But it's full-size, relative to a same-size sedan such as the S90, because of the additional cargo space inside. It has 26 cubic feet behind the rear seats, and that can be expanded to 69 cubic feet by folding the rear seats forward, as you would in a crossover.
But this isn't a crossover — and that's the draw.
It's a sleeker-looking wagon. It's not as tall — and boxy — as a crossover. Put another way, it's a practical sedan.
Such vehicles were once very popular before crossovers began to proliferate in the early 2000s. They still are very popular in Europe, where crossovers haven't proliferated as much. It's clearly a matter of taste rather than practicality because a wagon like the V90 closely matches the practicality of a midsize crossover without being another midsize crossover.
Of course, taste varies. But it is nice to have the choice. Too bad it's going to be reduced by one after the end of this model year.
Volvo has already winnowed down the V90's trims to just the one — the previously top-of-the-line B6 Ultra. Thus, previously extra-cost upgrades such as "tailored" dash and door panels — they are fitted with plush, stitched-leather pads and offsetting wood inserts — and premium leather seat covers (heated and ventilated), a crystal gear selector knob and premium Harman Kardon audio system are all standard.
You can opt for a few upgrades, however — including an ultra-premium 1,400 watt Bowers & Wilkins system ($3,200) with 19 speakers, a subwoofer and "Room Transformation technology" by Dirac Research. It features four different "room modes," including Studio, Individual Stage, Gothenburg Concert Hall and Jazz Club.
That's not inexpensive, but the thing is, the V90 is — relative to its two main rivals. It costs at least $10,000 less than either the Audi Allroad or the Mercedes E450 wagon, and that means you can afford to spend $3,200 extra on options such as the B&W 19-speaker audio rig and still spend thousands less than either of the other two wagons would have cost you.
The Rest
One of the V90's weaknesses is its central LCD touch screen. It is large and doesn't look like a tacked-on afterthought, as some do in other vehicles. It does not erupt from the top of the dashboard like an electric-light Pop-Tart. But the icons that you must find and tap to control the various functions are small, and that makes them more difficult to accurately tap while the car is moving.
On the upside, there are still push-button/knob controls for the defroster and stereo (channel changing, etc.).
The Bottom Line
It'll be gone soon — probably in part because not many people are even aware it's here.
Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
View the Volvo V90 Cross Country this week.
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