Volvo V60 Cross Country bridges SUV, station wagon gap

Modern station wagons have a certain practical appeal, but some want something more like a sport utility vehicle.

The newest Volvo model bridges that gap.

It's the V60 Cross Country with a base price of $41,000. While the basic V60 has a lot to offer, this version pumps things up a bit.

First, it has an all-wheel drive, a staple of SUVs, which is most welcome when roads get slick. It also has a bit of an increase in ride height, for a total of 7.9 inches of ground clearance.

To drive the point home, there are contrasting wheel arches in black plastic, which suggest an SUV persona, but there's also the ride comfort and efficiency of a station wagon. The Volvo brand has been synonymous with wagons for decades.

There are station wagons with an SUV vibe from other brands too. Audi offers the Allroad, based on the A4 wagon. It too has all-wheel drive and that extra ground clearance, as well as a few visual cues to make it stand out.

Volkswagen will be getting into the act as well. They just announced the 2016 All-Track at the New York Auto Show, which is based on their new Golf SportWagen.

From Subaru, there's the XV Crosstrek. With a tough, chunky look, it carries a real outdoors theme to its design. There's also a hybrid version available.

Compared to the other wagons with SUV features, the V60 Cross Country plays down the off-road look. Though for the time being, the older Cross Country model, the XC70, remains on the market. It still sits upright and tall with a true lifted appearance.

As Volvo modernizes its entire product line, the XC70 will likely be discontinued. The company is also readying its new XC90 SUV for those who want something larger that actually is a SUV.

Though if you're on the fence about an SUV and prefer wagons, the new Cross Country does a nice job of being a lot like an efficient station wagon and just a little bit like an SUV.