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Volvo: ‘The V12 is dead, and the V8 and V6 will follow’

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Time 8:58 am, September 13, 2013

imageSMALLER engines with more power are the future of Volvo’s range, according to the director of the company’s environmental architecture programme, Jan-Erik Larsson.

Volvo has launched the first of its new series of DRIVe engines – two 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines – that the firm says are to be the future of its brand.

‘We plan to develop eight engines in the DRIVe family, all of which will be two-litres,’ Larsson explains. ‘Today, the V12 is dead. Tomorrow, the V8 will follow. And soon, the V6 will too.’


The new petrol and diesel engines will debut on the brand’s latest 60-series range including the XC60, V60 and S60.

Larsson explains that there is a trend in downsizing as customers continue to look for vehicles with better efficiency. He says Volvo ‘will be selling less larger engines and many more smaller ones in the future.

‘DRIVe engines are the beginning of Volvo’s future,’ Larsson explains. ‘We have produced diesel and petrol engines that can offer class-leading fuel efficiency as we, along with performance of more than 300bhp in cars like the S60 T6 Auto VEP.


‘In the future, we will produce engines that will have the ability to match the pace of a V8 engine. Volvo has developed technological independence and all of our engines are developed and manufactured in Sweden.’

Dependant upon the technology, DRIVe will reduce weight by 40-50kg in comparison to the firm’s current engines, all the while reducing average fuel consumption by up to 35 per cent.

The new engines have even been designed to be fully compatible with hybrid tech – ensuring Volvo’s range is effectively future-proofed.

‘We made three major decisions to produce 2.0-litre, four cylinder engines and to ensure that each have electrification compatibility.

‘Each engine has the potential to have a small electric motor between the engine and the gearbox, with room for a bigger one on the rear axel, so each engine has EV and hybrid potential.’

The development of DRIVe has also seen Volvo produce a world first with iArt technology, which means the engines are equipped with sensors to monitor the combustion pressure and Volvo says that it currently sits in the number one spot for engine development.

‘Today, we are ahead, and we are proud of that,’ says Larsson.

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