Volvo V90 Cross Country practicality & boot space

• One of the safest cars tested by Euro NCAP
• Highly impressive adult and child occupant protection
• Electronic safety aids help to boost score

The Volvo V90 is one of the safest cars ever tested by Euro NCAP, boasting a five-star rating as well as outstanding adult occupant protection and an impressive range of electronic safety aids.

Crash prevention systems are becoming increasingly important to the safety ratings of modern cars, with the V90 Cross Country demonstrating a wealth of clever tech. This includes autonomous emergency braking which automatically attempts to stop the car if it detects a collision with a pedestrian, cyclist or large animal is imminent.

Other standard safety kit includes Pilot Assist and adaptive cruise control (mentioned in the equipment section), a world first Run-off Road Mitigation system (applies steering if it detects the car is about to leave the road) and Run-off Road Protection.

Blindspot monitoring, cross-traffic alert and rear collision mitigation plus auto dimming rear view mirrors are bundled together as an additional safety option.

The latter automatically tightens the front seatbelts should the car inadvertently leave the road while front seat frames with a collapsible section reduce vertical forces to help prevent spinal injuries.

Electronically limited top speed from 2020

Volvo's safety crusade continues unabated with the Swedish marque announcing that all models sold from 2020 will have an electronically governed top speed of 112mph, regardless of the power output of the engine or electric motors installed.

• Excellent room for rear seat passengers
• Luggage capacity lags behind rivals
• Available space is easily accessible, however

Volvo’s estate cars used to be the benchmark for boot space and practicality, but in the company’s recent quest to make premium luxury cars, outright luggage capacity has fallen by the wayside.

That’s not to say the boot is small, far from it in fact. There’s 560 litres of space back there expanding to 1,526 litres with the rear seats folded down.

However, thanks in part to the V90 Cross Country’s sloping roofline, cars such as the Audi A6 Allroad, BMW 5 Series Touring and Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain boast more commodious boots. The available space is easily accessible, though, with little intrusion from the wheel arches.

Space in the back is exceptional, however, with ample leg and headroom for passengers of all sizes. If you intend to put young children in the V90 Cross Country, there are two standard Isofix points on the outer rear seats and an optional one on the front passenger seat.