There’s been a trend the past few years for an automaker to take an SUV, then make it more … SUV-y. Subaru has done it with their Wilderness trim variants, Honda with the TrailSport editions, Toyota with its Woodland, and Hyundai and Kia with their respective XRT and X-Pro trims. The formula is similar across the board: Take an all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicle and empower it with all-terrain tires, body cladding, and often give it a lifted ride height, beefier suspension, and skid plates. The result is an SUV that looks and can be more adventurous than its siblings.
Volvo does this, too. In fact, the Swedish automaker has been doing it for decades — far longer than the automakers listed above. Volvo’s term for its ruggedized vehicles is Cross Country, and the moniker has been attached to the brand’s wagons for 30 years now, beginning with the V70 Cross Country before Y2K was even a thing. The automaker gives its wagons the same treatment to this day, with the V90 and V60 both being slightly lifted, luxurious carry-alls ready to take drivers and their families – who I can only assume are adorned in Patagonia and North Face athleisure threads – to their favorite hiking spot or Whole Foods.
Now, a new Cross Country is born. The 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country is, you guessed it, the ruggedized version of the EX30, which itself debuted just last year. This marks two special moments for both the brand and this fledgling vehicle: It’s the first Volvo Cross Country SUV, and the first Cross Country-fying of an electric vehicle. And after testing the 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country — in the Swedish countryside, no less — I can confirm it all works.
Just Rugged Enough
Truth be told, though, my co-driver and I spent hours trekking through Swedish locales straight out of a postcard while making our way up the coast north of Gothenburg; we didn’t really do much off-roading in the EX30 Cross Country. We barely did soft-roading on gravel, which was probably the right choice given the standard 19-inch rubber on our test vehicle. This all tracks, as we don’t imagine the average EX30 Cross Country buyer will be tackling anything more serious than mud, snow, and the occasional dirt path. For those who do, grippier 18-inch all-terrain tires are available. And if you want to go full bore, you can kit the thing out with a chunky roof rack, like the model Volvo had on display at our destination.
But really, for most buyers, the point of all these vehicles is to get one that looks more adventurous while having a bit more ability to venture off the beaten path on those rare times when the mood strikes. The EX30 Cross Country fits that bill. It sits just a smidge higher than the standard EX30 — 19 millimeters, or about 0.74 inches — has a slightly softer suspension with more travel, and it has those black-cladded bits and skidplates, natch.
And, truth be told, I’m smitten by it. I have been, actually, since the EX30 was unveiled a couple of years ago, with the Cross Country variant being Volvo’s version of a pitchman’s “one more thing.”
The great thing about these buffed-up vehicles is that they have, and by association give their drivers, an outdoorsy vibe without being onerous to live with on a daily basis. I’ve done the Rubicon trail in a Jeep Wrangler, and the experience was amazing. But even for serious off-roaders, that type of thing might be a one-and-done. Yet driving on the freeway can be an everyday event, and every day, such a vehicle’s rough ride will remind you of the compromises made when trying to make an extreme off-roader a city commuter.
With the EX30 Cross Country, there are all the amazing traits of the standard EX30, yet with the added outdoorsy vibe. So you get a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powerhouse packing 422 horsepower and the ability to rocket from zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds (the fastest Volvo!), plus the aesthetics that let people know you prefer the mountain bike over the road racer.
Serene Ride
Ride quality in the EX30 Cross Country is relaxed and serene, at least when you’re not hooning it up and testing that 3.4-second 60-mph sprint claim. As with all modern Volvo cars, the semi-autonomous driving systems are top notch, and because the EX30 Cross Country is all electric, the whole affair is quiet.
The standard EX30 has a range of 253 miles, which is pretty middling these days but still enough for most owners’ commutes. We suspect the Cross Country variant could lose a few of those miles due to its heightened ground clearance, and certainly will if you go with the 18-inch all-terrain tires.
The same caveats that exist with the standard EX30 also apply here, namely a tight back seat, and a perhaps too-minimalist interior that relies on the central touchscreen to operate most features other than driving.
The First of More?
For buyers who dig the Volvo EX30 and want a bit more toughness added to the cuteness, the Cross Country makes sense for this vehicle and perhaps even more for other Volvo models down the road. Automakers never discuss future products with inquisitive car reviewers, but I would bet we could see an XC60 Cross Country and other Volvo SUVs get the same treatment. After all, Volvo said the EX30 is the first Cross Country SUV, not the last. This one is set to arrive later this year, in the top Ultra trim. Pricing has yet to be announced, but we estimate it will slide in under the $50,000 mark.
