Volvo is claiming a revolution in diesel engine technology as part of its all-new engine family.
From the autumn, Volvo will roll out its exclusively 2.0-litre, four-cylinder DRIVE-E diesel and petrol engines initially in the Volvo S60, Volvo V60 and Volvo XC60. These will replace eight existing engine families across all model lines and spell the end four five-, six- and eight-cylinder Volvos.
The engines will be offered with different levels of turbocharging and, in some instances, mated to front or rear-mounted hybrid systems for front- or all-wheel drive to power anything from a super-frugal economy model to cars with performance comparable with a V8.
Each will be hooked up to a new eight-speed automatic or “enhanced” six-speed manual gearbox.
The diesel breakthrough, Volvo claims, is with its i-Art injection technology. Each injector in the common rail is fitted with a small computer that ensures the optimum amount of fuel is injected into each cylinder at a pressure of up to 2500 bar, rather than each injector providing a constant, single pressure. Improved economy, performance and sound are all promised.
The first DRIVE-E diesel engine to get the i-Art technology will be the D4 unit with 179bhp. Diesels with between 118bhp and 227bhp will be offered.
The Volvo designed and developed DRIVE-E engine family, which was known as Volvo Engine Architecture or VEA through its development, also includes petrols with between 138bhp and 300bhp-plus.
The first petrols are a 302bhp T6 and a 230bhp T5. Higher performance petrols feature a supercharger as well as a turbocharger to provide more low-end torque for a more linear torque curve and normally aspirated feel.
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Gibberish
Do Autocar read their own copy ever? The explanation of i-ART is truly awful; I'm guessing they don't actually understand it.
Volvo Engines
Volvo may have produced some nice engines, as have Ford, Fiat, Mercedes, Honda etc but none of those companies names itself after an engine factory like BMW. Volvo engines have not regularly won engine of the year awards and are not usually regarded as classics or benchmarks like BMW engines. So when the Bavarian Motor Works starts to produce the same 4 cylinder dross as everyone else it is a sad day for petrolheads. BMW have banged on for decades about how the BMW N/A straight six is an inherently superior alternative to their rivals 4 cylinder turbos. If BMW are going to join the common herd then there is no reason to choose their products over cheaper rival products. Notice too how all the car companies abandoning their USP engines, Volvo's 5 cylinder, BMW's straight six etc all claim that their new 4 cylinder turbos are "breakthrough" designs? Utter nonsense they are cheap to make 4 cylinder rubbish with bolt-on turbos. there is nothing clever about turbocharging an engine it is just lazy and expedient for the car companies. They then put the price of the new 4 cylinder cars up and claim the customer is getting more power more economy etc. What the customer is getting is a worse engine and far less engineering for their cash.
spqr wrote:Volvo may have
What are you talking about BMW have named themselves after an engine factory.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG or Bavarian Motor Works for the English, are named after a region in Germany where they were founded - Bavaria, just because it says "motor" in their name it is no different from Ford Motor Company et al , and their first car was basically an Austin 7 made under licence. They only started making cars on a regular basis in the late 50's.
Jaguar on the other hand won Le Mans 5 times in the 50's with straight 6 engines, whilst in1959 BMW were produced the Isetta bubble car with a motorcycle engine (again made after they aquired the licence from Fiat), so please, I agree BMW make wonderful straight 6 engines, its not as if thats all they have ever produced.
Down-sizing engines
Also as Volvo have no history of producing great engines it does not matter if they join the 2 litre 4 cylinder turbo gang. When BMW do it though it is just sad.
spqr wrote: Also as Volvo
Actually Volvo's 5 cylinder petrol turbo was and still is a lovely engine, their I6 engine is very good and their Yamaha developed V8 was a stormer, and in days gone by Volvos engines where reknowned for their longevity and reliability, its only recently since having been infiltrated by Renault, Ford and PSA engines have Volvo had problems.. The latest D5 twin turbo is just as good and more reliable than anything BMW produce, if not perhaps as powerful, and coupled with a plugin hybrid system (as per the V60) is way beyond anything any other "Prestige" brand have produced, and in fact they have nothing comparable.