The death of a pet turned this drive into an appreciation of life behind the wheel of a modern Volvo wagon.
ALL dogs go to heaven, but their departure is a hellish experience for their human buddies left behind, who suffer broken hearts, shattered spirits and terrible sadness. And when the time comes to transport the lifeless body of a beloved doggy to a pet cremation centre, the car becomes a hearse. In the case of my late BFF (best furry friend), her temporary hearse was a Swedish station wagon with increased ground clearance (65mm more than the standard V60) and outdoorsy attire – front and rear skid plates, side scuff plates and fender extenders.They provide some protection against skids, scuffs and other off-road scrapes. They also give the car more street cred in the concrete jungle where SUVs love to roam. The test car’s Twilight Bronze paint job suits the “cross country” design theme, too.
It’s brown like mud, but immaculate. Also muddy is the thinking behind this Volvo vehicle. It’s for the indecisive driver who cannot decide between the V60 T5 (which costs $15k less) and the XC60 T5 (which costs $10k more). It has fast-hatch power, torque and performance, but slow-wagon steering, handling and paddle-shifting. Its exterior looks tough, but its interior is a softie, with equally soft upholstery. Its middle name is “cross country”, but it’ll spend most of its time in the city. However, when I’m seated comfortably and enjoying the quick driveability, thoughtful amenities and excellent infotainment of the V60 Cross Country, whatever muddy thinking behind it becomes secondary. The most important thing is, it feels great to be alive behind the leather-clad wheel. And because this is a modern Volvo wagon packed with safety features (reactive and preventive alike), I’ll stay alive till I reach my final destination – downtown, suburbs, countryside or rainbow bridge.
