2026 Volvo V60 Cross Country Last-Ride Review: A Modern Classic Hiding in Traffic

The 2026 Volvo V60 Cross Country goes out of production in April of this year, as in, mere weeks away as this article is being written. We spent some time with one of the last U.S.-spec Volvo wagons this winter, and I must say, I loved this thing a little more every time I drove it.

To those of us who grew up through the ’80s, ’90s, and Y2K, the idea of Volvo not selling station wagons is deeply bizarre. The longroof look was synonymous with the Swedish brand—wagons were Volvo’s whole vibe! And yet, while the company has indicated it may bring wagons back, for now, it’s last call for Volvo wagons in the States.

The market has spoken; more people would rather buy taller SUVs for the extra headroom and perceived practicality. And in this era we’re currently living through, shareholder dividends tend to take priority over customer choice—in other words, expect the trend of automakers circling their wagons (ha) around their most profitable models to continue.

So is this really worth being sad about? Is the V60 Cross Country wagon really that much cooler than its taller stablemate, the XC60 SUV?

Short answer: yes.

While a station wagon is an objectively practical car, it is sexier than a crossover or SUV. Especially in 2026, when every parking lot looks like a carton of Walmart eggs—endless rows of colorless blobs.

It’s not just the long, low roof of a wagon that’s appealing; it’s the ratio of length to height. SUVs and crossovers, even the slippery ones, look chonky. Their shape implies “static mass.” But a wagon body implies “motion.” By taking the sleek, aerodynamic front end of a sedan and stretching the roofline, you get a silhouette that looks stretched, tense, and athletic. It’s the same idea that makes the “shooting brake” aesthetic appealing. It looks like it’s moving fast even when parked; it’s got a speedy posture that an SUV simply cannot replicate.

Then there’s the rarity. In the United States, wagons have not been driveway mainstays for decades. They stand out now. Driving a wagon looks like an intentional choice. Driving one signals taste and individuality. It also signals an intelligent approach to practicality.

While similar-sized SUVs might be able to claim more cubic inches of cargo space, a lot of that is dead air above passenger heads that never gets used. The long, low cargo hold of a wagon is highly versatile for fun (skis, ect.) and work (lumber, etc.). Meanwhile, the lower roofline makes it easier to access anything larger you might have mounted on a cargo rack (bikes, etc.). And lower door heights make it easier to haul dogs!

Finally, there’s the factor of driving dynamics. Now, the V60 CC is no scalpel of s-curves, but it feels considerably more engaging than the XC60 simply because of the pilot’s posture when you’re moving along. A sedan-based wagon is something you feel like you’re sitting “in”; an SUV, or even a crossover, feels more like something you’re sitting “on.” That extra ride height that SUVs provide divorces you from the sensation of speed.

The appeal of the V60 wagon isn’t just one thing; it’s the juxtaposition of capability and grace. It’s a family car, but the vibe is more “weekend getaway” whereas a crossover conveys more of a “weekends at Target” kind of energy.

So, yeah, there is more than a little je ne sais quoi to why people who like wagons really like them. And the V60 CC really is an exceptional example of a wagon done well.

It rides smoothly and quietly—it feels balanced in the sense that its calibrations are very “medium.” Medium firmness, medium strength of acceleration. Steering feel is quite soft (you can change between two settings but I struggled to detect a difference)—this is a luxury adventure touring vehicle, not a sport wagon. It has more than enough ground clearance for bad weather and dirt roading, with a low enough roofline that’s great for all the reasons stated above.

And finally, the interior is so spectacularly executed that you’ll want to road trip this thing on a whim every week. Volvo has really mastered blending sophisticated luxury with utility, and it’s on full display inside the V60 CC. Clean chrome and robust toggles communicate reliability, wood accents and lovely leather choices add organic warmth, and the simplicity of driver displays is soothing. It’s a lovely foil to the sensory assault you get in a modern BMW or Mercedes—I love my German cars, but there’s no reason for the M5 Touring to hit you with 50 beams of blaring red lights when you turn on the hazard lights.

While the utility-focused aspects of the car (seat settings, cargo compartments, buttons) have a reassuring robustness to them, the things you look at (dashboard, cockpit shape) are graced with fine-material classiness. And touchpoints do both—the steering wheel feels nice and tough, so too do the seats and door handles.

The optional Bowers & Wilkins sound system is so magnificent that I did a whole other post about its unique functions. It’s not just the design gimmicks that make it cool—the sound is considerably richer than any other OEM premium audio setup I’ve listened to, and I test dozens of them every year.

Volvo’s done a great job carving out a niche for itself to effectively fall into an aesthetic between Land Rover and Lexus, and I hope the company continues with that. I hope, too, that Volvo’s Chief Strategy and Product Officer, Michael Fleiss, was serious when he told The Drive, “watch this space” about the future of Volvo and wagons. Because long live the longroofs.

Volvo provided The Drive with a seven-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.

2026 Volvo V60 Cross Country Ultra Specs

Quick Take

High-class all-weather adventure machine with a lot more grace and appeal than you can express with a spreadsheet.

Station wagon fan yourself? Let’s talk longroofs. You can email me at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.