What's the difference?
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has long been a formidable competitor in the Light Duty (3501-8000kg GVM) division of Australia’s highly competitive Heavy Commercial vehicle market.
The popular range offers a choice of panel van, cab-chassis and minibus body styles, four turbo-diesel engine variants (plus an all-electric drivetrain), three wheelbase lengths and for panel vans plus the choice of two roof heights.
An extensive overhaul of the Sprinter range in 2024 brought extra safety technologies, new comfort and convenience features and other benefits, which Mercedes-Benz claims can help drivers work more efficiently. We recently put one of the latest models to the test.
There’s something about a Volvo wagon. Especially one with Cross Country in its name. City sophistication mixed with the potential for adventurous outdoor pursuits.
Leaning into its all-wheel-drive capability for a cheeky ski weekend with the family. Hooking up the boat and heading to the lake for a spot of fishing. Or seeking out that off-the-beaten-track camping spot you’ve had your eye on.
The V60 Cross Country is made for that family-focused role. Okay, so the Clearys didn’t do much skiing, fishing or camping during a week with this premium mid-sizer. None, actually.
But we did assess its comfort, flexibility, practicality and everything else required to help grease the wheels of day-to-day household life. Stay tuned to see what we discovered.
Given the original Sprinter was released in 1995, it’s not surprising the current third-generation model feels like it’s benefitted greatly from decades of continuous refinement. Although the list price difference between our test vehicle and its closest Chinese rival is substantial, the 417 MWB Panel Van is hard to fault in terms of driver comfort, safety and all-round competence. It really is very good.
The Volvo V60 Cross Country’s split-personality delivers urban civility and all-wheel-drive capability. Our city-slicker week with it confirmed the latter doesn’t compromise the former. It’s sleek and refined, well equipped for the money and safety is top-shelf.Â
If you have multiple kids creeping up through their teens, you might need something a bit bigger, and ownership costs like fuel economy and servicing, while not tragic, could be better.
Overall though, a thoughtfully engineered, premium mid-size wagon that expertly balances form and function.Â