With suburban mall parking lots full of vehicles that look like they go off road but never do, it's fairly refreshing to see Volvo building vehicles which will go offroad but don't look the part. Such a vehicle is the V40 Cross Country, and now Volvo is building a bigger version out of the popular V60. It's a wagon, so it has plenty of room for whatever you need to take with you, and is really quite an elegant vehicle, perfect for a civilized day in the country.

It's been raised by 65 mm, and receives skid plates and scuff plates. Pretty much the sort of treatment you'd expect.

It also boasts integrated dual exhaust pipes, a choice of 18- and 19-inch alloys, and black leather sport seats with a variety of two-tone upholsteries. The Volvo V60 Cross Country will launch in the US and Canada with a 250-hp five-cylinder gasoline unit mated to an automatic box and AWD system. Look out for live shots from the Los Angeles Auto Show, where it will debut later this month.