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You might be paying a premium for the V90 Cross Country over the regular Volvo V90, but having lived with one for a couple of weeks, it certainly makes a compelling case for itself.

The formula to make large estates more appealing to an SUV-blinkered market isn't exactly rocket science.

Take a ‘regular’ estate – in this case the very likeable Volvo V90 – add a few centimetres of ground clearance (six and a half, actually), bolt on a tasteful helping of exterior plastic cladding in all the appropriate places, add a handsome pair of front and rear aluminium skid plates and, voila!, your estate is instantly more desirable.

It's a blueprint that Volvo has deployed for its Cross Country model line for more than 20 years and, after spending some time with the 2020 V90 Cross Country, I confess to be somewhat smitten.

In the intervening years, rival manufacturers have adopted that formula, including Audi’s A6 Allroad (from £54,360), Merc’s E-Class All-Terrain (from £65,945) and, perhaps, Subaru’s Outback (from £33,770) and e-Forester (from £36,335). The Volvo Cross Country is priced from £47,860.

I recently enjoyed a couple of weeks with KN69 WDO, much of which was spent pootling around southern and central Wales with the family and our rescue dogs. ‘WDO’ is a ‘D5 PowerPulse AWD Cross Country Plus’ variant, with a blond/charcoal leather-clad interior, finished in Maple Brown…

Three people are entirely responsible for Volvo's drive towards its current ultra-cool design look and feel. Thomas Ingenlath is Volvo's long-time chief design officer (and now CEO of the brand's EV subsidiary, Polestar), Robin Page is head of Volvo design, and Maximilian Missoni oversees exterior design.

In a rare case of healthy designer egos not getting in the way of a positive outcome, this trio has developed a classically simple, ‘Scandi-lite’ approach combining echoes of Volvos past, like the large grille, complete with 'Iron Mark' logo, and current signature elements including the dramatic 'Thor's Hammer' LED headlights and lengthy tail-light clusters.

The Cross Country brown-roady bit comes courtesy of charcoal grey wheel arch covers, with the same shade applied to the window glass surrounds, front air vents, side skirts and lower section of the rear bumper.

Volvo has got its interiors pretty much spot-on at the moment and the V90 Cross Country is no exception. Drop into one of the incredibly comfy seats and you’re wrapped in a welcoming mix of light colours and premium materials, including matte woods. It’s a very nice place to be, especially if you’ve got a long drive ahead of you. Rear visibility could be better, but rear parking sensors and camera are standard, and also comes with a handy 360-degree ‘overhead’ camera that’s a huge help when parking.

With a definite twist of Scandi design, the centre console is both smart and modern, and as in other new Volvos is dominated by a large, portrait-orientated nine-inch touchscreen display.

Pretty much every facet of the car is controlled from this display – even remotely dropping the rear seat headrests to aid rear visibility – and the overall user experience is excellent considering, with only a few minor niggles. For example, some controls or settings are slow to react (if at all) and require a couple of presses or a firmer finger press of the screen to access. The minimalist design also means there are no dedicated controls for climate control, and adjusting these settings requires a bit of a fiddly flicking of the touchscreen. 

There are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto options, with both integrating very well into the Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system, along with two USB ports. 

The V90 Cross Country sports a 14-speaker 600W sound system from Harman Kardon as standard, while for the serious music aficionado there’s a punchy 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system that delivers 1,400W – as fitted to ‘WDO’.

Adding to its credentials as a real alternative to a traditional SUV, the Volvo V90 Cross Country is a seriously practical machine. It matches the conventional V90 estate for load space – there are 560 litres for luggage, expanding to 1,526 litres if you fold the 60:40-split rear seats flat.

The size and practical nature of the boot means that most won’t need to drop the seats very often, and the Cross Country will comfortably accommodate a family of four, even if every member is six feet tall. There’s room for a fifth, too, in the centre rear seat, although there’s a hump in the floor that limits foot space, making this seat most comfortable for children.

Unlike the regular Volvo V90, the Cross Country exists as a top-end, standalone model. There are no trim levels, only an options list – and you shouldn’t need to raid that too extensively, either. All have a sophisticated infotainment system with interactive Bluetooth music streaming, together with satnav and LED headlamps. As per the regular V90, the Cross Country is in no way lacking safety kit or driver assistance tech.

There’s a £550 option to replace the black side cladding with body-coloured material, but I rather liked the robust looks of the Cross Country as it was. You’re better off putting your money into a road trip to make full use of what the Volvo can do. The same goes for the £950 optional rear air suspension, which cushions the ride admirably, but can't contain the sharp jolts that are sent through the car's structure when those big alloy wheels hit potholes or expansion joints. The Bowers and Wilkins sound system is good enough to be tempting, but you’d really need to be an audiophile to part with the £3,000 asked.

It could be argued that the V90 Cross Country makes a strong statement that you don’t need either the badge allure of the German premium brands or the eye-catching bulk of yet another SUV. The Volvo serves those who want practicality, luxury and safety in all conditions, while remaining understated.

The D5 diesel engine is punchy, responsive (0-62mph takes 7.5 seconds) and remarkably quiet. The extra power (235 bhp) compared to the lesser-powered D4 (197 bhp) was handy on more than one occasion – and beside, the fuel economy (WLTP 39.2 - 43.5 mpg) and CO2 emissions (146 g/km) are the same for both powerplants.

However, it falls short of appealing to enthusiastic drivers because of the rather frustrating lag between depressing the accelerator and the promised power being unleashed, with the eight-speed automatic gearbox hesitant to shift down when you want it to. On the other hand, at tick-over and when cruising, the D5 diesel engine is calm and enjoyably smooth.

The regular Volvo V90 isn’t quite as focused on delivering driver fulfilment as the BMW 5 Series Touring or Mercedes E-Class Estate and, to be honest, this is a rather refreshing decision on Volvo’s part. Like the regular car, the Cross Country indulges rather than entertains (which is as it should be), allowing motorway miles to g’zuder largely unnoticed.

This isn’t to say the Cross Country doesn’t handle well – it’s neat and tidy on twisty roads when pushed hard, although its raised height does lead to it leaning a little into bends – even with the optional rear air suspension fitted. The steering is perhaps too light and not especially forthcoming with information – even when ‘Polestar Engineered’ mode is selected – but guiding the car through corners is effortless.

Belying its bulk, you’re never short of grip, either – Volvo’s trusty all-wheel drive sees to that. It will by default send power to the front wheels but summoning the rears when conditions or driver input demands. When I tested the car on regular tyres through a spot of light Welsh mud, its all-weather capabilities really came to the fore.

The V90 Cross Country offers proper off-road pedigree thanks to a legacy that dates back to 1997 and the launch of the original Volvo V70 XC – the car that initiated raised everyday estates that can venture off road.

It should be of no surprise, then, that a company with more than 20 years' experience in this sector has produced a car claiming an impressive breadth of abilities both on and off road. Intelligent four-wheel drive as standard generates surefooted grip in adverse conditions, 65mm of added ground clearance gets you over rougher ground and various drive modes let you to tailor the Cross Country’s on and off-road driving characteristics.

During the fortnight’s test, a total of 832 miles were driven over mixed English and Welsh roads at an average speed of 26 mph (lots of sightseeing). The average fuel consumption was recorded at 37.8 mpg, which failed to even reach the ‘Low-High’ WLTP band of 39.2 - 43.5 mpg. Allowances may be made for the car being loaded up to the gunwales for many of those miles.

It’s a Volvo, so safety isn’t in question. The regular V90 was awarded five stars when independent crash safety experts Euro NCAP evaluated it in 2017, scoring an excellent 95% for adult occupant protection and 80% for the way it looks after children.

The Cross Country incorporates City Safety, with automatic emergency braking if a hazard is detected, as well as a semi-autonomous Pilot Assist system. This combines the car’s active cruise control with readings from various cameras, lasers and sensors to control speed, acceleration and braking in certain traffic conditions up to a certain speed. You can even set your Cross Country up to communicate with other Volvos for advance warning of hazards ahead.

You might be paying a premium for the V90 Cross Country over the regular Volvo V90, but having lived with one for a couple of weeks, it certainly makes a compelling case for itself. Delivering the best of both worlds, the V90 Cross Country is a large and comfy estate with real-life off-road credentials to match – indeed, even exceed – many cars that call themselves SUVs.

2020: February: Updates to S90 and V90 models announced. Coronavirus-interruptus.

2020: July: First deliveries to UK customers.

Key Facts: V90 Cross Country D5 PowerPulse AWD

Engine: Front-mounted 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbocharged diesel.

Power /torque: 235hp @ 4,000rpm / 480Nm @ 1,750-2,250rpm.

Transmission: Eight-speed conventional automatic gearbox.

Fuel tank capacity: 60 litres (13.2 Imperial gallons).

Emissions/EURO Class: 146 CO₂/km (EURO 6).

First year VED: £1,305, thereafter £475.

Warranty & roadside assistance: 3 years / unlimited miles.

SKODA has revealed a range of safety features which are all set to make their debut in the fourth-generation Octavia, when it is released in UK showrooms this summer. The new technologies won’t just ensure safety for the driver of the vehicle but also other motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

SKODA: Safety first in the all-new Octavia

Turn Assist will be introduced for the first time in any SKODA and the Octavia is the first vehicle in its class to launch the innovative safety technology. Using the Octavia’s on-board cameras, the system monitors oncoming traffic when turning right at a junction as well as identify cyclists and pedestrians. If immediate danger is detected when executing a manoeuvre, the vehicle will be brought to a complete standstill, triggering the warning signal and preventing a possible collision.

This advanced safety feature will be in standby mode every time the engine is switched on and is activated when the right indicator is on. While the indicator would demonstrate to other road users the intention of the driver, Turn Assist is able to ensure additional assistance so that any potential accident is avoided.

Another first to feature on a SKODA is the brand’s new Exit Warning technology, which is part of the Blind Spot Detection system and comes into effect when the car is parked up. Monitoring the rear and sides of the vehicle, the system warns the driver and other passengers when it may not be safe to open their door through the use of visual warning lights and sounding an alert, both of which will continue until the hazard has passed or if the doors remain open.

Working on the front and rear doors, the alert will avoid passengers swinging their doors open and causing a possible collision with a cyclist – known as "dooring" – or any other road users.

The sophisticated cameras in the new Octavia are able to observe possible hazards to the rear of the vehicle up to a distance of 35 metres and at angle of approximately 120°, providing greater assurance for drivers and passengers on when it is safe to exit the car.

Complementary to both Turn Assist and Exit Warning is Collision Avoidance Assist. The front cameras of the vehicle are able to detect an impending accident and perform a controlled evasive manoeuvre around the hazard, be that other vehicles, a cyclist or a pedestrian. The system uses real-time data provided by the array of cameras and radars to calculate the most appropriate, and crucially the safest, trajectory around the potential danger. This calculation factors in the distance, width and position of the vehicle or obstacle ahead and the system will be able to perform this function at speeds of up to 90mph.

Cyclists will further be protected by the Predictive Cycling Protection feature in the all-new Octavia which uses the front cameras and radar to trigger a cascade of warnings to the driver if a cyclist is detected ahead – and will even engage the emergency brakes if necessary to avoid any possible collision.

2019 was a fantastic year for car safety, and Euro NCAP has highlighted the Best of the Best in class for 2019

Safest cars revealed by Euro NCAP - Best of the Best in class 2019

Each year, Euro NCAP publishes a list of those cars that have performed best in their respective categories during the past 12 months.  	 
Euro NCAP last week published its annual Best in Class for 2019. Fifty-five cars were assessed, of which forty-one achieved the top accolade of a full five stars, which makes 2019 one of the most impressive years on record since Euro NCAP started to evaluate consumer safety of cars on the European market.

Mercedes-Benz regained its crown in the best performing Small Family Car category – this time with the CLA – a sporty alternative to the A-Class Sedan, which won last year’s Best in Class. The CLA achieved a score of more than 90% in three of the four areas of safety and delivered the best overall rating of the year. Mercedes-Benz went on to launch five more five-star vehicles in 2019, all with outstanding crash protection and driver assistance technology.

Tesla also made a strong appearance during 2019 with its Model X declared the winner in the Large Off-Road category, followed by the SEAT Tarraco in second place. The Tesla Model 3 topped the Electric and Hybrid vehicle class and, together with BMW’s 3 Series, shares top spot in the ‘Large Family’ category. The two cars concluded their respective tests with identical overall scores, with the BMW scoring better in pedestrian protection, and the Tesla edging it in Safety Assist. Skoda’s new Octavia was the runner-up in this category.

In the combined Small Off-road/Small MPV class, Subaru won with the new Forester, with excellent all-round performance during testing. Mazda’s new CX-30 and Volkswagen’s T-Cross were close followers in the category. Despite missing out on the top spot, Mazda had a good year, with the new Mazda 3 turning in a creditable performance in adult occupant protection and pipped to second place by the Mercedes-Benz CLA in the ‘Small Family Car’ category.

There was a tie in the Supermini class with the sporty Audi A1 and top-selling Renault Clio, both of which have been among Europe’s most popular and desirable hatchbacks for years. Their latest generations arrived in 2019 and fared equally well in testing. Newcomer Ford Puma was the runner-up in the category. The Supermini segment continues to be the most competitive in the market and the winners deserve credit for their uncompromising stance on safety.

Finally, a special mention went to BMW’s Z4, the only roadster tested in 2019, but set a new safety benchmark for the segment.

Best Large Family Car Hybrid and Electric: Tesla Model 3

Read our exclusive review of the Tesla Model 3!

Best Small Off-Road / MPV: Subaru Forester

With advances in modern technology and video recording equipment, buying a dash is now fairly reasonably priced and a growing trend throughout the UK. We look at how you may be able to benefit from buying one.

Why you should buy a dash cam for your vehicle | HD, 4K, GPS, Wide-angle, Insurance, Footage, Video

If you’ve ever had an accident, especially one that was not your fault, you’ll know how frustrating it can be not being able to prove your innocence. In addition to this, it can be difficult to remember all the precise details of an incident, especially when asked for a full timeline of events. Accidents often happen suddenly, without warning, and can catch us off guard.

Nowadays, with the number of drivers having dash cams fitted, many of these accidents are now caught - in high quality - on camera for all to see.

Some dash cams automatically start recording as soon as you turn the ignition on, and switch off when you turn it off. This is more useful than many might think, as if you have to do it manually it’s all too easy to forget to switch it on. And sod’s law says that’ll be the time you probably end up needing the footage!!

Usually only on the more expensive end of devices, but some may have a screen so you can review the footage there and then without having to put the SD card into a computer.

Similarly, if you buy a dash cam with Wi-fi or Bluetooth enabled then you may be able to transfer the footage straight from the camera to a smartphone wirelessly. This could be a great time saver as you won’t need to remove the SD card and plug it into a computer to download any footage. Just be sure you have enough room on your smartphone memory or this feature will be redundant! Remember, video takes up a lot of space, and most of our phones are usually clogged up with apps, photos and videos we’ve taken at home!

Most dash cams have a very high quality, usually at least HD, and some of the more expensive ones can film at Super HD or 4K. This means that there will be little doubt about who is to blame when it comes to a claim as the footage they produce is usually crystal clear.

Having a wide-angle lens will give a far broader picture than a standard camera and will show almost as much as what the driver behind the wheel can actually see. This could be invaluable in capturing a person or vehicle coming from the side, or to get a greater perspective at junctions, for example. The more information your camera can capture, the better.

More advanced dash cams are equipped with GPS. This means they can track location and speed. Bear in mind though, if it’s tracking speed and you happen to be over the limit if an incident happens, that data will also be sent to the insurers / police. If you’re a legal, safe driver who always obeys the speed limits then this, of course, won’t be an issue. I’m sure that’s you, so you can ignore that point.

A great feature that can detect G-forces inside the vehicle. If the dash cam senses you’ve been involved in an accident, it can automatically contact the police. Coupled with GPS location data this could be a life-saving feature.

With light being so low at night times, if your camera isn’t equipped with a night-vision mode you may not get the best picture. Night-vision mode cameras often have infrared technology giving excellent footage even when visibility to the naked eye is poor.

Some GPS cameras also come with speed camera detection alerts - like you often get with some modern navigational systems. This can be a useful reminder if you’ve accidentally drifted over the limit as you approach a speed camera.

Cleverer dash cams will alert you when it’s too dark outside to get a good quality picture and advise you to turn your lights on. This could be useful for making sure that if there is an accident that the video recorded will be in the best possible quality.

A very simple feature based on a timer, this one will alert you when you’ve been driving continuously for a long period of time and should probably take a break. If you’re used to driving long distances, you’ll know you can very easily end up driving for longer than expected or planned in a single stint without realising how tired you’ve become. A nice and easy safety feature that could just end up saving your life.

Possibly. Some insurance companies will offer reduced premiums if you have one fitted, and, in fact, some insurers make them compulsory for some of their policies. This way, if there is ever a claim, they will have more evidence. Always check with your insurer if they offer a discount if you have a dash cam, and check which dash cams they support.

As per the name, dash cams are usually mounted on a vehicle’s dashboard facing forwards looking at the road ahead. Some may have both front and rear facing cameras in one unit, and some may come with a separate additional camera to be set up at the rear. This can be useful for recording rear-end shunts.

With front-facing cameras it is recommended to put them in a position that gives them the clearest view of the road ahead without blocking the view of the driver. This is often attached just to the passenger side of the rear-view mirror.

Usually not, no. Most dash cams will simply plug into the cigarette lighter or USB port and work “out-of-the-box”. However, always be sure to read the installation manual to make sure it is properly set up and that it is actually recording when you drive. Otherwise, you may end up not having anything to watch back if you were to have an accident. It could also invalidate your insurance if it was a requirement on your policy.

Most dash cams record footage and save onto an SD card. As a general rule, 8 minutes of HD footage will fill a 1GB SD card. Having an SD card slot on your dash cam means you can put in as much memory as you think you may need. Usually, they simply record continuously and when the memory card gets full they simply start deleting the oldest footage to make space for the new footage. This is great as there’s no need to keep old footage of you simply driving to the shop to pick up groceries.

It can do, definitely. Many of us have been driving for many years - or even decades - and most won’t have had any driving training since our initial driving test. This means we will probably have developed some bad habits over the years. It’s perfectly natural.

Watching dash cam footage back can be very insightful, and give us a new perspective on our own driving. It may even prompt us to change the way we drive. For many, the sheer fact that there is a dash cam recording their every move is enough of a reason to review their driving style and be even more careful than they would otherwise.

This will depend entirely on whether you want a cheap basic dash cam or a super advanced one with all the mod cons. Prices can start as low as £25 (or even cheaper for some really basic ones) up to several hundred pounds. Most will have HD quality footage, but in this day and age having 2K or 4K will give you a much superior picture quality.

A dash cam is a relatively inexpensive purchase that could easily save you what it cost (if not more) in the event of an insurance claim. With a myriad of safety features in many of the popular ones too, it is also a great companion that’ll keep you and your passengers safer than without one.

Whichever dash cam you opt for, always make sure that if it’s required by your insurance company that they accept the make and model of the one you have purchased.

Orskey offer a range of fantastic dash cams with some great features included for a relative low price. We would highly  recommend their products as they are very popular in the UK, have excellent online reviews and are great value for money.

Why you should buy a dash cam for your vehicle

Tag: safety

Review: Volvo V90 Cross Country

SKODA: Safety first in the all-new Octavia

Safest cars revealed by Euro NCAP - Best of the Best in class 2019

Why you should buy a dash cam for your vehicle

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