By Jeff Fortson of JeffCars.com

Over the past few years, Volvo has gone from being almost extinct to being a respected small player in the luxury arena.

Recently, I caught up with the head of Volvo’s U.S. deign as well as the pricing strategist for the brand. Both executives gave me an overview of the significant changes, pricing updates and the like, as it relates to the Swedish automaker’s 2020 line-up of crossovers, SUVs and wagons. As noted in the video, the premium luxury brand has upped its ante in terms of expanding its performance brand, the Polestar.

In addition to learning about key attributes of the vehicles from the executives, I also spent time driving several of the new models through the mountains and the picturesque Canadian Rockies both on and off road. Let’s just say with confidence, the V70 Cross Country, with its standard all-wheel drive system, was able to climb with ease to the highest peak restaurant in Canada, Eagle’s Eye. The restaurant with its breath-taking view is seated 7,700 feet above sea level. Thank God, it didn’t rain on the trip up. While the car was up for the test, I’m not quite sure if I was.

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And, the XC90, which is the brand’s flagship, literally glided through the hilly Canadian highways, while the XC60 Polestar, I put to the test, while being accompanied by a train racing professional on the landing strip of a rural airport, proved that the performance-oriented crossover, with its four-cylinder engine, could outmatch many of today’s six- and eight-cylinder powered engines.

Volvo has literally come along way. These lifestyle vehicles are great for cruising around the city or off the beaten path. With today’s Volvos, the styling is so fresh and so tight. No matter what type of situation one finds oneself in, buyers no longer have to apologize for sticking with a brand that was only known for its solid safety reputation.

Jeff Fortson is the host of SiriusXM’s Auto Trends with JeffCars.com. The weekly show, which airs Fridays at 12 PM ET, includes one-on-one conversations with today’s pioneers and influencers. For more details on the show, new-car pricing, car reviews and recall updates, cruise over to JeffCars.com.

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