While the extra plastic armor and ground clearance that the V40 Cross Country had over the regular hatch may have been enough for some to justify the buy, Volvo wanted to fully flush out the concept/idea. Therefore, they’ve given it optional all-wheel drive. Along with it, it promises improved emissions and efficiency, thanks to a series of powertrain upgrades and other enhancements.

The all-wheel drive system is exclusively available coupled to a revised Drive-E T5 turbo petrol engine that puts out 245 horses. Volvo says, through its Senior Vice President Research & Development, Peter Martens, that “the combination of the Drive-E T5 engine with AWD will give adventurous customers the power to explore, and all the control they need to be confident in all road conditions.”

With emissions as low as 149 g/km CO2, Volvo is adamant its crossover is notably more polar ice cap friendly than the Audi Q3, BMW X1 or Mercedes-Benz B-Class 4Matic, all with comparable petrol engines, automatic gearboxes (the Volvo has an eigh-speed) and all-wheel drive.

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