Until a few years ago, raising and dressing existing models was a real hype. The trend has been blown over by the rise of the ‘real’ SUV, but inventors Subaru and Volvo are persistent. Is there another reason to choose an Outback or Cross Country in 2021?
X-road, Conquest, Freetrack, Scout and of course Cross: these are just a few of an endless row of cool names that were stuck on all kinds of cars between 2000 and 2015. From a Hyundai Getz to a Renault Scénic and from a Fiat Stilo to a Seat Altea, there was such an extra tough model in almost every segment. As time went on, the added value of such models did diminish, until in the vast majority of cases it remained in appearance. Volvo has also sometimes been tempted to a Cross Country with front-wheel drive (XC70), but that has now been rectified. The current Cross Country offer has, as before, a lot of ground clearance, four-wheel drive and sturdy fender extensions.
There are of course also differences with the past. For example, the original V70 has been replaced by a smaller V60 and a larger V90. With the V70 Cross Country, Volvo was early in 1997, but Subaru was already the real trendsetter in 1994. Just like then, the current Outback is based on the Legacy, although that model no longer exists in Europe and there is no station wagon of the Legacy available at all outside the Outback. In 2020, a completely new Legacy and therefore a new Outback was presented in the US, but in Europe we still have to make do with the 2015 edition. Four-wheel drive is of course always present in Subaru’s top model, where integral drive is part of the brand’s DNA.