Station wagons, particularly slightly rugged ones like the Volvo V90 Cross Country, make the best family haulers — a statement I continue to stand by. The vehicle returns for the 2024 model year virtually unchanged since the last refresh three years ago.

Even with a 60-millimeter taller ride height and black cladding under the bumpers, side sills and over the wheel arches, our Ultimate-trim press loaner still looked as sleek as ever thanks to a low greenhouse, curvy body and streamlined vertical-slatted grille. The silver front skidplate and optional 21-inch 7-Open Spoke Diamond-cut wheels (+ $1,475) provided icing on the cake.

Is it even possible for Volvo to make a bad interior? The Nappa leather upholstery is buttery soft and the beautiful hits of natural open-pore wood around the space feel great to the touch. And even though I’ve seen the Swedish Orrefors crystal shift knob many times, the piece is still a stunner. Legroom is plentiful in both the first and second rows, and the 714 litres of space in the cargo area was enough to accommodate several pieces of check-in and carry-on luggage.

The nine-inch portrait-oriented tablet display is similar to other products in the Volvo and Polestar eco-system and is powered by Google Built-in infotainment, so apps like Google Maps are natively installed without needing a connected smartphone to run.  

Propelling the all-wheel drive wagon is a 2.0-litre turbocharged-and-supercharged four-cylinder mild-hybrid mill, making 295 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, mated to a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine is quiet and efficient and is pretty much a perfect match for the V90.

Also equipped was the available Rear Air Suspension with Four-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) Active Chassis (+ $2,350) that helps keep the vehicle level even when carrying a full load. Adaptive dampers are included as well, which constantly reads the road and current driving conditions and adjusts the stiffness accordingly. For example, on twisty roads the handling was sharp, but everything softened up while puttering around town to increase comfort.

The 2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country Ultimate starts at MSRP $77,745.