2015 Volvo S60 Cross Country - pictures, engines, on-sale date

The Volvo S60 Cross Country is expected to go on sale in the UK at the beginning of the summer. It is pitched at buyers who want the off-road capability of four-wheel drive and the beefier looks of a crossover but in a four-door saloon shape.

When it arrives in the UK two powertrains will be on offer. Both employ diesel engines but one is front-wheel drive while the other gets four-wheel drive.

The front-wheel-drive model gets the 187bhp 2.0-litre D4 diesel engine that is currently available in the V40. Four-wheel drive buyers will have to choose the five-cylinder 2.4-litre D4 engine that puts out 178bhp and is also offered in the Volvo XC60.

Performance figures and specifications are yet to be announced, but it is known that the S60 Cross Country's ride height has been increased by 65mm over the standard saloon.

Click here to read about the Volvo V60 Cross Country

Volvo is touting the S60 Cross Country as a new niche in the compact executive sector and, in terms of increased ride height, it is. However, two of its German rivals - the BMW 3-series and the Audi A4 - offer four-wheel drive already.

Lex Kerssemakers, senior vice president of product strategy and vehicle line management, said at the Detroit motor show: "The beauty of being a smaller company is that we can be whole. From concept to production, this car will have taken eight months.

"We had the idea, tested it and soon it will be on sale. We know customers in China and the US want a raised driving position but not always an SUV and this is a slightly daring interpretation of that ideal.

"It's not 'bling' or over the top, but a typically Volvo understated take on an idea that is new but potentially popular. We want to grow the Cross Country portfolio and this allows us to test a new avenue."

Get the latest car news, reviews and galleries from Autocar direct to your inbox every week. Enter your email address below: