I’m a huge fan of station wagons. For a long time, my dream was to take a 4×4 van and swap its body with a station wagon. Maybe a Pontiac with the wrong-facing seat in the back. This would combine both my childhood memories of sitting in the back of a wagon and my more modern love of going off-road.
But alas, I never did get my station wagon. With or without four wheel drive. And there’s a station wagon monster truck now. Several of them. Including the famous Grave Digger. But I don’t own one. And like James Dean, it’s tearing me apart.
Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic. I regret having never built my 4×4 wagon, but I occasionally get to have something very close to it. Station wagons are a dying breed. There aren’t a lot of them left. They’ve been replaced by sport activity vehicles, like the even-numbered BMW X series and the wagon-like Kia EV6 and Volkswagen ID.4. These SAV options aren’t really wagons, but they’re close.
The Volvo V90 though? That’s a wagon. One of the last of them still being sold in the U.S. The V90 is only sold in its Cross Country format now, which gives it a little bit of a lift and standard all-wheel drive. I’m fine with that. It’s as close to my dream 4×4 wagon as I can get, from the factory, in today’s market. So I’ll take it.
The V90 is also a very comfortable and luxurious vehicle. Being a Volvo. It hasn’t changed much since it was introduced as-is in 2017, outside of a couple of technology items. It’s stylish, pretty capable as an all-weather and light off-road machine, and has all of the great attributes of a station wagon. But no rear-facing back seat. Those went dodo with the rise of the minivan in the early 1990s. Today’s wagons, like the V90, only seat five. It’s a different world.
In the main, Volvo tends to do things differently than other automakers. This is the company that invented the three-point safety harness that’s now standard in automotive. The company that’s credited with perfecting side impact airbags, inventing rear-facing child safety seats, whiplash protection headrests, and other safety boons.
That’s just safety. Volvo was also one of the pioneers of turbocharging, all-wheel drive as a norm, and other innovations that we now take for granted. And now it’s one of the few automakers still offering station wagons in the U.S. Which makes them a hero of mine. Because I really love wagons.
The 2024 V90 isn’t boxy and of questionable political standing like the squared-off Volvo “Professor’s Car” of the 1980s. No one looks at a V90 and makes assumptions about one’s political party of choice. And funny enough, the Volvo 240 “Professor’s Car” is now a collectible.
Instead, the V90 exudes elegance, a touch of uniqueness, and a little bit of no-box thinking. It’s a testament to the driver’s bucking of the trend. But not so much that one becomes an outcast for it. More of a “that’s a thinking person” vibe. Especially here in Wyoming where every third vehicle is just another truck that looks exactly like all the other trucks. There’s no cookie cutter for the Volvo V90 driver.
This is why I love station wagons. And Volvo for still selling them.
The 2024 V90 Cross Country comes in two trim points, both using a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. This setup includes a mild hybrid system to minimize engine drag from accessories, thus improving both output and efficiency. Total production is 295 horsepower to an eight-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive.
The trim levels are mostly about aesthetics. The Plus base trim comes with nice-looking 19-inch wheels and a whole lot of standard equipment. The Ultimate trim adds a lot of niceties like massaging seats with upgraded leather upholstery, a head-up display, and a crystal gear shifter. These are nice touches, but the larger 20-inch wheels make the ride a little more bumpy. The tailored dashboard and the premium Harman Kardon audio system are pretty great, though.
The 2024 Volvo V90 is a smooth, well-made ride that feels like it belongs. Plus it’s a wagon. Which I’ve gone over pretty thoroughly here. If you don’t like wagons, that’s fine. But don’t pretend to be superior while driving a car that looks like everyone else’s.
