Although a bit late to the party, the new Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain wants a slice of the cross-break segment to lure customers looking for a go-anywhere vehicle that’s not an SUV.

Like the four-door coupe and the SUV-coupe sub-segments, this niche remained invisible (and unexploited) for some time, even though a handful of manufacturers offered crossbreeds between estate cars and crossovers throughout the years.

Now, the competition is fiercer than ever, especially after both Volvo and Mercedes launched brand new models in the segment. But can the German car maker beat Volvo at its own game?

While AMC, GAZ, or Subaru aficionados might tell you the V70 XC wasn’t the first car of its kind, the Swedish crossover defined the formula when it was launched, in 1998. Consequently, Volvo created the new V90 Cross Country with 18 years of expertise behind them, and it shows.

Mercedes, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to take things as seriously as Volvo does, offering a versatile car without trying too hard, as opposed to the no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point Swedish approach. You could argue that the visual differences between the two models are limited to each company’s design language, since both cars were created after the same “recipe”, but while the Cross Country manages to set itself apart from the regular V90 with its rugged, yet sophisticated, tough exterior, the E-Class All Terrain looks like a lifted regular T-Model. Granted, those humongous rims filling up the E-Class’ wheel arches don’t help with the look either.

Still, both cars feature similar body cladding, elongated hoods, and slightly sloped roof lines (even their exhausts are similar), but their style set them apart. The Cross Country is 21.1 (8.3 in.) centimeters off the ground, while the All Terrain’s Control multi-chamber air suspension can offer only up to 15.6 cm (6.1 in) of ground clearance.

Both cars are comfortable alternatives for going off the asphalt, and while the Volvo may appeal to the outdoorsman, Merc’s elegant zest could serve someone with a stylish hut by the lake, an argument underpinned by the vehicles’ interiors; the V90 Cross Country comes with the sober, minimalist Scandinavian approach, but the Mercedes excels with its welcoming, warm, concerto-like ambient, and curvaceous lines.

What’s your pick? Would you rather have an All Terrain Mercedes, or go Cross Country in a Volvo?

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