2025 Volvo V60

The 2025 Volvo V60 is a compact luxury wagon with a few SUV genes. Pricing starts at $51,495.

To SUV, or not to SUV? That’s the question the Volvo V60 has been asking itself. Although it’s essentially a wagon, the V60 Cross Country variant raises its ride height and adopts a chunkier look. And all-wheel drive is standard across the board.

This between-the-genres approach is perfectly valid. Volvo has done it before, Audi has something similar. And Mercedes-Benz competes in the next size class up. We understand the company’s motivation. A Volvo wagon used to be a cultural reference, not just a family car. Yet Volvo, like the rest of the automotive world, is going big on SUVs as well.

It all boils down to the V60 being a great car with quality, refinement, comfort and practicality. It’s far from the cutting edge these days, but for those buyers who feel the tug, the V60 could work perfectly well.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of compact luxury cars, including the Volvo V60.

The previous Ultimate trim is renamed Ultra. The V60 Polestar Engineered T8 plug-in hybrid version (which lost the Recharge part of its name) made an appearance for the first half of this model year and then Volvo decided to discontinue it. This variant sits a little lower than the V60 Cross Country, more like a regular wagon than one with SUV hints. One more thing, Thunder Grey paintwork is no longer offered. This second generation of V60 launched for the 2020 model year. We don’t think it’s going to be around for much longer, because Volvo is putting more and more of its resources into all-electric SUVs.

We recommend the popular Plus trim, as it comes with plenty of standard equipment and safety features. The V60 Polestar Engineered T8 AWD plug-in hybrid begins at $72,445.

The one real rival is the Audi A4 Allroad, which starts a little below the V60 Cross Country. Anyone liking the idea of an all-wheel-drive raised wagon on a non-luxury budget might also want to check out the Subaru Outback.

Before buying a new V60 compact luxury car, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Sadly, resale values are among the worst for this class. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

With 247 horsepower available, the V60 Cross Country will accelerate from standstill to 60 mph in a leisurely 6.4 seconds. That’s 1.1 seconds behind the 261-hp Audi A4 Allroad. Let’s work on the premise, though, that a V60 Cross Country owner is not looking to embarrass other drivers when moving off from a stop light, but prioritizes comfort and composure instead. It’s all here, along with reassuring grip from a standard all-wheel drive system. Despite merely adequate power, we like how the V60 Cross Country moves, with the kind of smoothness and tranquility a luxury car ought to have. And 8.3 inches of ground clearance makes the V60 Cross Country better suited to dirt roads or drifting snow than a regular car.

The V60 Polestar Engineered T8 plug-in hybrid makes a total of 455 hp and will hit 60 mph in an entertaining 4.3 seconds. It also has a bespoke suspension setup employing Öhlins shock absorbers, as well as Brembo front brakes. Both of these third-party suppliers have great reputations from their involvement in motorsport.

Fuel Economy

The V60 Cross Country achieves 27 mpg in combined city/highway driving. To compare, the Audi A4 Allroad is rated at 26 mpg combined.

The Polestar Engineered plug-in hybrid has an impressive electric-only range of 41 miles. When operating as a regular hybrid, it manages 31 mpg combined.

The front seats. By golly, they’re comfy. Typical Volvo, we know, but they still deserve a mention. The whole interior is great in an uncluttered, understated way. And the materials are appropriately posh. We’ve found that life is more than tolerable in the back seats as well, with rear legroom of 35.2 inches — virtually the same as the Audi A4 Allroad.

Behind the rear seats is a luggage area of 18.3 cubic feet, opening out to 60.5 cubic feet when those seats are folded down. For reference, the A4 Allroad goes from 24.2 to 58.5 cubic feet. In terms of maximum cargo volume, both of these vehicles beat the Audi Q5 SUV’s 54.1 cubic feet.

We still harbor plenty of affection for wagons, including the Volvo V60. It’s arguably handsome and indisputably practical. The Polestar Engineered version follows the usual wagon formula, while the V60 Cross Country makes an effort to appeal to SUV buyers, with a raised ride height and plastic on the wheel arches.

All-wheel drive
This is a standard feature in every new V60, and we’re grateful for it, bringing an extra degree of confidence when the weather turns rough, as well as enabling owners to tackle dirt roads that others might avoid.

Infotainment system
Although it’s compatible with Apple CarPlay, this system uses software from Google. And we rate the Google Maps navigation app quite highly. The Google Assistant also takes voice commands given in natural speech. In an ideal world, the icons on the 9-inch screen would be a bit bigger, but we like the system overall.

Pilot Assist
This partial self-driving feature is also standard. It combines adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance and road sign recognition to take a lot of the grind out of highway driving.

Afterrun parking climate
We think this is such a considerate touch. It preserves the cabin’s temperature for those times when you turn off the engine yet want to remain in the car for a short while — to finish that phone call or catch the end of a radio news piece, for example. It’s standard in the V60.

Harman Kardon audio
The V60 is so comfortable that long journeys can be relished. That usually means having some serious entertainment along the way, and we’re happy to recommend this 14-speaker/600-watt surround-sound system that’s an option in the Plus trim, or standard in the Ultra.

Bowers & Wilkins audio
A moment of silence, please, as the Polestar Engineered V60 plug-in hybrid passes into history. We’re going to miss this paragon of refinement, especially its standard-issue 15-speaker/1,410-watt Bowers & Wilkins audio system — which is up there among our absolute favorites.

Propulsion for the 2025 V60 Cross Country comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making an adequate 247 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive.

The V60 Polestar Engineered T8 has a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that’s both turbocharged and supercharged, plus an electric motor to make a substantial total of 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque. This goes to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Volvo provides bumper-to-bumper limited protection and powertrain protection for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. This is typical among European luxury vehicle manufacturers. The company also includes free scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles. The plug-in hybrid battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

Previous model years of the V60 have earned a Top Safety Pick+ accolade from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the agency’s highest rating. Updated crash tests have seen the car earn top scores of Good. It also took a maximum overall score of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Standard safety equipment includes blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera system.