2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country handles nicely, confuses thoroughly

2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country B5: New look, same Volvo touches.

Price: $63,585 as tested. Climate package heated the seats, headlight cleaners, and steering wheel for $750; 20-inch spoke wheels added $3,200. More below.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver likes the “fashionable exterior design, upscale interior vibes, available Polestar performance hybrid model,” but not that the “base powertrain could use more oomph,” or that the “infotainment system has quirks.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Built for wherever life takes you.”

Reality: The cure for the common SUV.

What’s new: For 2023, the V60 and V60 Cross Country get a styling refresh with a new grille design and updated rear bumper inserts. Plus, the entire 2023 lineup of Volvo cars in the United States is made of mild hybrid, hybrid, or electric vehicles.

Competition: Audi A6 Allroad, Subaru Outback, Volvo XC60, Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon.

Confusion: Mr. Driver’s Seat and companion the Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat have been at this car testing thing for a long time. She offers great insights from a non-car buff, and mostly keeps her hands to herself as we travel about.

But for some reason, on the first night we took the V60 out, her curiosity was piqued.

She tried adjusting the seat heater and ended up screwing up the map.

She tried turning on the interior light and made an SOS call; that fortunately comes with a timer so I was able to cancel it.

Suddenly, she turned the interior lights on. ALL of them, so that Mr. Driver’s Seat was practically blinded. Some yelling may have ensued, and as she tried to correct her error, I heard a whir and the sunroof started to open to the 30-degree night.

Sturgis Kid 4.0 could contain himself no longer. Hysterics ensued, and I ended up having to pull over to figure all this out (and recover my composure).

So, perhaps the V60 is not the most user-friendly vehicle out there.

Up to speed: The 2.0-liter four that forms the basis for Volvo engine units gets turbocharged in the V60 and create 247 horses. That powers the station wagon to 60 in a decent 7.1 seconds, according to Car and Driver. The engine creates a nice little hum as it does its work.

A mild hybrid stores energy from braking in a 48-volt battery, and that energy assists the vehicle with acceleration, according to Volvo.

Shifty: The 8-speed transmission is operated by Volvo’s nifty crystal shifter, with a yank for Drive, a push for Reverse, and a button for Park.

Shiftability is available but only by knocking the shifter to the left or the right, a motion I’ve always found unsatisfying. Forward or back please.

On the road: People who buy Volvo SUVs are missing out on the true Volvo experience. The Swedes’ station wagons and sedans are just so much nicer to drive, and the V60 Cross Country is no exception. The vehicle handles delightfully, not so much fun as competent and stable. It’s a great feeling when even after a short drive, you can become one with a vehicle, and the V60 offers that. (Interior lighting technology notwithstanding.)

The V60 also feels very European. We had the Volvo on a 40-mile trip to Philadelphia, and its highway manners were impressive, although it does hit big potholes as hard as some sportier vehicles.

Driver’s Seat: Whether sedan, wagon, or SUV, Volvos usually offer a clear interface. This time around, the graphics seemed to gunk it up, and the tachometer and speedometer are pushed off to the sides to allow a map to guide drivers from in-between. It made watching my speed a little difficult.

But the steering wheel feels nice and the controls are easy to operate.

The ventilated Nappa leather seat is a little on the firm side but offers plenty of controls.

Friends and stuff: The rear seat is as comfortable as the front. Legroom is plentiful, but foot room and headroom are a little tight. The middle seat is not too bad. Sturgis Kid 4.0 reports that the seat back also sits very straight up, with no adjustments.

The large console between the front seats is spacious and easily accessible; in an unusual twist, it’s perfectly fine when left popped open, and still a comfortable place to rest your arm while driving.

Cargo space is 25.5 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 60.5 with the seat folded.

Play some tunes: The Bowers and Wilkins premium sound ($3,200) offers clear playback and the usual array of Volvo studio, concert hall, and room experiences. Sound is about an A-, not as good at mining hidden chords as the Mazda CX-50, Honda Odyssey, or Genesis Electrified G80.

Operation is standard Volvo, with the vertical infotainment screen that’s fairly easy to navigate, and a dial with a couple buttons underneath.

Keeping warm and cool: Everything here happens through small buttons at the bottom of the touchscreen which then opens up a larger display. Three or four dials could do the trick without taking so much of the driver’s attention.

Fuel economy: I averaged about 22 mpg in a variety of driving conditions, proving that mild hybrid is very mild indeed.

Where it’s built: Ghent, Belgium.

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the reliability to be a 3 out of 5.

In the end: I’d go for the A6 Allroad, having thoroughly enjoyed that test. The Mercedes might also be worth a look, but it’s much pricier.