2021 Volvo V60 Cross Country

The 2021 US V60 Cross Country came only as the T5 AWD, a 250-hp 2.0L turbocharged four with no electrification. That makes the volume figure the range maximum too. This was the last model year before the 48V B5 mild hybrid arrived.

The T5 makes 258 lb-ft of peak torque, which is mid-pack for a luxury wagon.

Published 0–60 figures for the 2021 T5 AWD Cross Country are about 6.4 seconds. That is adequate for a lifted wagon weighing about 4,030 lb, but it is not quick.

The T5 four is quiet at cruise and has adequate mid-range pull. Reviewers fault its turbo lag from a stop, its coarse note at high revs and an abrupt conventional auto stop/start system. The 2023 B5 mild hybrid later smoothed the stop/start behavior.

The Aisin 8-speed Geartronic shifts smoothly in steady driving. Reviewers say it is slow to kick down when you ask for passing power and that it sometimes hesitates at low speed.

AWD is standard on every 2021 V60 Cross Country, along with a raised ride height of about 8.1 inches, an Off Road drive mode and hill descent control. It misses the top band because the system is a front-biased on-demand setup with no low range or torque vectoring.

There is a single powertrain: the T5 AWD gas four, with no electrification of any kind. The T8 plug-in hybrid was sold only on the regular V60, not the Cross Country.

The EPA rates the 2021 V60 Cross Country T5 AWD at 25 MPG combined. That is mediocre against the gas wagon band and 1 MPG below the 2023 mild hybrid.

The EPA city rating is 22 MPG. There is no hybrid assist to help in stop-and-go driving.

The EPA highway rating is 31 MPG. That is its best figure, but it is still in the lower third of the wagon band.

The EPA record lists no range figure for this gas model, so range is calculated from the 15.9-gallon tank and the 25 MPG combined rating: about 398 miles. That is the same method behind the EPA's 413-mile figure for the 2023 B5, which has the same tank.

The EPA estimates $3,300 a year in fuel at its standard assumptions, using the premium fuel it lists. That is beyond the expensive end of the wagon band.

The EPA lists premium fuel, and Volvo recommends 91 AKI for the T5 while allowing 87 AKI at reduced output. Premium is recommended rather than required, which puts it in the middle band. It is still a real ongoing cost compared with regular-fuel rivals.

NHTSA rates the 2021 V60 Cross Country T5 AWD at 5 stars overall. The frontal score is 4 stars because the passenger side rated 4; side and rollover are both 5 stars.

The 2021 V60 Cross Country earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+, with Good ratings in every crashworthiness test and Good headlights on all trims. The only blemish is an Acceptable rating for LATCH ease of use.

City Safety AEB, lane keeping, BLIS and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on the single T5 AWD trim. Adaptive cruise and Pilot Assist are not: for 2021 they sit in the $1,900 Advanced Package along with the 360-degree camera.

IIHS rated the standard City Safety system Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle and Superior for daytime pedestrians. It has no nighttime pedestrian rating, which keeps it just under the top band.

BLIS and Cross Traffic Alert are standard for 2021. Volvo's BLIS adds steer-assist intervention and the car also brakes automatically when reversing, which goes beyond alert-only systems.

Lane Keeping Aid is standard, but true lane centering through Pilot Assist costs extra in the Advanced Package. Reviewers find Lane Keeping Aid abrupt, and say Pilot Assist hands back control readily when lane lines fade.

Full-speed adaptive cruise with stop-and-go and Pilot Assist works well but is optional for 2021, through the Advanced Package. Reviewers also note cautious gap-keeping and slow resume.

There is no hands-free driving option. Pilot Assist requires hands on the wheel.

Every 2021 car gets the same headlamps: LED reflectors with curve-adaptive bending and high-beam assist. IIHS rated them Good.

The wagon's large rear glass and raised seating position give good natural sightlines. The thick D-pillars and high beltline are fully offset by the 360-degree camera only on cars with the optional Advanced Package; a rear camera is standard.

IIHS rated LATCH ease of use Acceptable. The compact-wagon rear doors and legroom are tighter than in crossover-shaped rivals.

The 2021 V60 Cross Country is a two-row, five-passenger wagon, sold in the US only as the T5 AWD.

Front headroom sits below the middle of the wagon band, and the standard panoramic roof takes some of it. The SPA-generation body was unchanged from 2019 through 2023.

Front legroom is comfortably above the middle of the wagon band.

The wagon roofline runs well rearward, which gives good second-row headroom.

Rear legroom is tight for a luxury wagon and well behind the Outback's roughly 39.5 in. Adults fit, but not generously. TestDriveNow nonetheless found the rear 'surprisingly spacious' for head and legroom.

About 23 cu ft behind the rear seats tops the wagon band. Even KBB's more conservative 'nearly 20 cu ft' figure would score near the top.

Everyday storage is competitive: a power tailgate, a 60/40 rear seat that folds flat with a pass-through, and a grocery-bag holder. TestDriveNow found 'no usable underfloor storage', console space is modest, and wireless charging was optional for 2021.

The SPA front seats are widely praised for long-distance support and adjustability. The rear bench is supportive but limited by legroom, and one reviewer found the leather less comfortable than the cloth seats.

The taller Cross Country suspension gives a soft, SUV-like ride without the body motion of a high center of gravity. Sharper impacts can occasionally come through.

The cabin is quiet at a cruise, but road noise from the taller Cross Country tires comes through, and the T5 four sounds coarse when worked hard.

Heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate and a panoramic roof are standard. The heated wheel and heated rear seats cost extra (Climate Package), as do ventilated seats and four-zone climate (Lounge Package).

For 2021 the US V60 Cross Country came as a single T5 AWD model, with content added through option packages. Its entry price sits in the upper third of the $22,000–$55,000 wagon band.

With only one trim, the typical dealer-stock car is the T5 AWD plus the Advanced package (Pilot Assist, 360° camera) and Climate package in metallic paint. That puts the window sticker around $49,800 including destination.

European luxury labor rates and repair exposure after the 4-year warranty put the cost mid-band for a wagon. Free scheduled services for the first 3 years/36,000 miles offset part of that.

Now five years old, the 2021 model's actual market values show better retention than Volvo's reputation suggests, helped by the post-2021 used-car price spike and the scarcity of lifted luxury wagons.

Volvo's New Vehicle Limited Warranty runs 4 years/50,000 miles, the luxury-class norm.

Volvo offers no separate, longer powertrain warranty in the US. The T5 engine and 8-speed automatic are covered only by the 4-year/50,000-mile basic term, the floor of the 5–10 year band.

The 2021 model includes Volvo's free factory scheduled maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles (the 10k/20k/30k services), 4 years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance, and a Volvo On Call connected-services subscription. That is multi-year included maintenance with meaningful perks.

$49,800 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (52% retained, or about $25,896) leaves about $23,904 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,800 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $29,704 in total.

The 2021 V60 Cross Country is the third US model year of the 2019-onward SPA second generation and, per Wikipedia, the year the US V60 became Cross Country-only with a single conventional T5 gas powertrain, before the 48V mild hybrid arrived. Consumer Reports rates it about average, and owner-reported reliability is positive. Recurring complaints are about infotainment and electronics rather than mechanicals.

Volvo's multi-year dependability standing has been below the industry average, mostly because of software and electronics faults on the shared SPA electrical architecture. It ranks just below Subaru and above Audi and Mercedes-Benz in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study, and lands in the lower half of Consumer Reports' brand rankings.

Three campaigns cover the gas 2021 V60 CC, all fixed by a dealer inspection: an SRS control unit that may not have been properly attached and could detach in a crash, seat-belt automatic locking retractors that could deactivate early (FMVSS 208), and a steering-gear assembly defect affecting a very small number of vehicles. None involves fire or powertrain hardware. The two restraint-system campaigns keep the score in the middle band. The HV-battery recall covers PHEVs only and does not apply to this gas car.

The 2021 T5 AWD uses a conventional 2.0L turbo four from the VEA/Drive-E family, in US service since 2014, with no 48V integrated starter-generator hardware yet. It pairs with the high-volume Aisin 8-speed automatic, a mature combination with no systemic failure pattern. The score is reduced for oil-consumption complaints on earlier high-mileage Drive-E units.

The cabin is a clear strength: open-pore wood, quality leather, metal-mesh and jeweled-knob switchgear, and a minimalist Scandinavian design that reviewers rate at or above German compact-luxury rivals for the price. Piano-black console trim that scratches easily is the main criticism.

The Swedish/Belgian-built V60 CC is reported as tightly assembled and solid, with no widespread rattle or misalignment pattern. Volvo's below-average J.D. Power initial quality keeps it out of the top band, although those problems are mostly in infotainment rather than physical build. The SRS-mounting recall also points to a lapse in assembly process.

Volvo has roughly 280 US retailers, a thinner network than BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Audi, concentrated in coastal and metro markets. Service satisfaction is mid-pack among luxury brands. Shared SPA mechanicals with the XC60/S60 keep technicians familiar with the car.

Volvo repair costs are above the industry average but below the German brands. Mechanical parts are shared with the high-volume XC60/S60, but body, glass and trim parts for this low-volume wagon are mostly dealer-only. SPA electronic modules also need dealer software commissioning.

The 9-in portrait Sensus touchscreen is the only center display offered. It is small next to rivals' 11–12 in screens.

The screen is crisp and the swipe-panel layout is logical once learned. However, nearly all climate and vehicle functions are buried in the touchscreen, the system is slow to boot, and its layout differs from rivals enough to confuse new owners. This is the older Sensus system, before the 2023 switch to Google built-in.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard on 2021 Sensus cars but connect by cable only; wireless projection is not offered.

Sensus Navigation is built in and voice control handles basic commands, but both are clunky next to phone projection, which most owners use instead.

The base 10-speaker system is decent. A 14-speaker Harman Kardon ($800) and an excellent 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins ($4,000) system are optional.

A 12.3-in full digital driver display is standard. It is crisp and can show map views, but it is less configurable than the best German clusters.

Sensus cars get only map and app updates over the air; system software is updated at the dealer. Volvo's whole-vehicle OTA updates arrived with the Android Automotive (Google built-in) cars.

The Volvo On Call app offers remote start, climate pre-conditioning, lock/unlock and vehicle location. There is no phone-as-key, and the app was known to be slow.

USB-C ports are standard front and rear, but wireless charging comes only in the $1,900 Advanced Package, and there is no household AC outlet.

Keyless ignition, remote start via the app and a power tailgate are standard. Full keyless entry and the hands-free foot-activated tailgate are reported on test cars but appear to depend on option content. There is no phone-as-key.

A rear camera and parking sensors are standard. The 360-degree surround-view camera costs extra in the Advanced Package, and there is no automated parking.

A graphical head-up display is available on the only trim through the $1,900 Advanced Package. That is easy to get, but it is not standard.

A low load height and roughly 23 cu ft cargo bay suit strollers. However, 35.2 in of rear legroom crowds rear-facing seats, and IIHS rates LATCH ease of use only Acceptable.

NHTSA 5-star overall and IIHS Top Safety Pick+ make the crash credentials excellent. City Safety AEB, BLIS and lane keeping are standard, but adaptive cruise/Pilot Assist and the 360 camera cost $1,900 extra.

Excellent front seats, a plush ride and ample luggage space make it a good tourer. Tight rear legroom, road noise, and rear-seat heating or four-zone climate only by package hold it back with four adults aboard.

A comfortable ride and good driving position make it easy to live with. Turbo lag from a stop, an abrupt conventional stop/start system and touch-heavy controls are daily annoyances.

At 25 MPG combined on premium fuel, with an EPA estimate of $3,300 a year, commuting costs are at the expensive end for a compact wagon.

A 37-ft turning circle and standard parking sensors make the 188-in wagon manageable. Thick rear pillars hurt visibility, and the 360 camera is an option.

A long, flat wagon floor helps, but the modest 3,500-lb tow rating and luxury orientation make it a light-duty helper at best.

This is a leather-lined luxury wagon with no fleet or work reputation, and its durability under hard use is unproven.

Cargo tie-down hooks, roof rails and an accessory hitch exist, but there are no AC outlets and no work-focused upfit ecosystem.

Superb front seats and a plush ride make a strong tourer, with about 398 miles of range. Road noise holds it back, and adaptive cruise/Pilot Assist cost extra.

Standard AWD, about 8.1 in of ground clearance, roof rails and an off-road mode with hill-descent control handle gravel roads and trailheads. It is not a true off-roader, and KBB found the hill descent abrupt.

A long wagon floor, flat-folding split rear seats, roof rails and an available hitch fit bikes and skis. However, 51 cu ft maximum trails the Outback and SUVs, and there is little underfloor storage.

Its car-based center of gravity gives secure, willing cornering. The extra Cross Country ride height and weight cost a little athleticism compared with the standard V60.

The steering is accurate and weights up in Dynamic mode, but it is light and numb in normal driving, as on other SPA Volvos.

KBB calls the brakes excellent and responsive. No instrumented 70–0 mph stopping distance for the 2021 Cross Country was found.

The T5 pulls energetically once on boost, but turbo lag from a stop, an abrupt conventional stop/start system and occasional 8-speed hesitation hurt drivability. The 2023 mild hybrid later smoothed these out.

The engine is quiet at cruise, but the 2.0-liter four sounds coarse and buzzy near the top of its rev range.

A 37-ft turning circle is mid-pack for the wagon band.

KBB calls the driving position outstanding, with a highly adjustable seat and a slightly raised Cross Country hip point. Climate and most vehicle functions are buried in the Sensus touchscreen.

The lifted wagon is characterful and can be 'very fun' once the turbo is on boost. Numb steering and a soft, comfort-first setup keep it from being an enthusiast pick.

The single 2021 T5 AWD trim comes with standard AWD, a panoramic moonroof, a power tailgate, heated front seats, the 9-inch Sensus touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, and City Safety AEB with blind-spot and lane-keeping aids. Pilot Assist, the 360° camera, ventilated seats and four-zone climate cost extra through the Advanced and Lounge packages.

At $46,545 with standard AWD and a lifted wagon body, it undercuts the Audi A4 allroad and Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain. Even so, it asks luxury money for 250 hp and compact-wagon space, and a Subaru Outback XT offers similar capability for far less.

Buyers take it or leave it: one trim, one powertrain (the T5 gas four), AWD only. The only real choices are a handful of option packages, paint and wheels.

This is a niche seller in a shrinking body style. V60 Cross Country volume runs in the low thousands per year, while Volvo's XC60 and XC90 crossovers absorb most of the brand's demand.

Volvo has a positive premium image built on safety leadership and Scandinavian design, with a loyal following among wagon buyers. It lacks the aspirational pull and resale strength of the German luxury leaders.

Early in the 2021 model year, a slow-turning luxury wagon saw dealer discounting plus Volvo Car Financial lease and APR support. From mid-2021, the chip shortage pushed luxury transaction prices toward MSRP, so the deals were modest overall.

The second-generation V60 on SPA went on sale in 2018, and the Cross Country reached the US as a 2019/2020 model, so 2021 is early mid-cycle. Its platform and safety tech are current, though the T5 lacks the electrification that arrived with the 2023 B5 mild hybrid.

Reviewers praise its styling, seats, ride and the rarity of a lifted luxury wagon. They mark it down for modest power, a laggy touchscreen-centric interface and a price close to roomier crossovers. It is well liked but rarely the pick of a comparison test.