Does the World Need the 2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country?

Not since the extinction of Subaru’s Legacy Outback has an off-road-focused crossover sedan been so bold as to even exist. Until now. Volvo is betting on the new S60 Cross Country luxury sedan as yet another way to strut its Swedish quirkiness.

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So just who would buy an S60 sedan pumped up with an extra 2.5 inches of ground clearance? According to Joe Haslem, brand manager for Volvo’s entire S60 range, “It’s for someone who’s grown up out of a Subaru WRX, but is SUV averse. They spend their weekends skiing or exploring wineries.” They also might be wagon averse as Volvo revealed the V60 Cross Country late last year.

“We’re not trying to be German or Japanese or Korean. This is just us,” Haslem said. “Cross Country is our brand, and this is a perfect representation of that.”

While you may think this is simply an S60 sedan with some extra ground clearance, there are some noticeable differences. According to Haslem, the S60 Cross Country chassis is based on technology from the brand’s off-road-focused XC70 wagon. According to Volvo, it’s a highly capable off-road vehicle with hill descent control, but it also packs standard navigation, connectivity and telematics.

This formula worked for Subaru when it released the XV Crosstrek a few years ago. The off-road-focused version of the Impreza became a hit despite a significantly higher price than the basic car.

The S60 Cross Country will be available at dealers this summer, and we’ll see if it sees similar success.

Cars.com photos by Evan Sears