Volvo’s surprise new model for the Melbourne International Motor Show, which starts at 5.00pm on 27 February, is an all-wheel-drive, off-road station wagon.

Volvo calls its new wagon the V70 XC - standing for Cross Country - and, from overseas reports of the car launched late last year, it really does live up to its name.

The world-wide trend in wagons is towards all-wheel-drive units with off-road capability yet retaining the ride and economy of a normal wagon. These new wagons are based on car under-pinnings rather than commercial truck-type chassis.

With Volvo now in the race, there are similar vehicles available from Honda, Subaru, Toyota, Kia and Rover while Audi has just announced its entry at the Detroit Motor Show.

The Volvo V70XC uses a 5-cylinder, 2.4-litre, turbocharged engine capable of accelerating the almost 1700kg vehicle to 100kmh in under nine seconds. The suspension has been raised to give the wagon 39mm more ground clearance than the standard V70 - a total of 166mm.