Volvo D5 PowerPulse – available on the XC90, S90 & V90 – explained (+video)

Volvo has added a new technology – PowerPulse – to its D5 Drive-E engines in the XC90, S90 and V90 which uses compressed air to boost the turbo response.

The recent arrival of the Volvo S90 and V90 is the next step from Volvo in delivering a real alternative to the German dominance of the ‘Premium’ car market, and from what we’ve seen so far – and the incredible success the new Volvo XC90 has enjoyed – we wouldn’t bet against Volvo taking a serious slice of the market.

But along with the arrival of the S90 and V90, Volvo also announced a new technology for its D5 diesel engine in the new S90 and V90 – Powerpulse – which has also been made available on the XC90 for the 2017 model year.

What is Volvo PowerPulse?

Anyone who’s driven a turbocharged car will know that they do wonders for performance, but you need to be on the move before the turbos kick in and provide a power boost.

Turbo lag – as this phenomenon is known – has been improved massively over the years, with the arrival of two (and even three) turbos on an engine allowing a smaller initial turbo to spool up quicker and reduce the power lag, and Audi has also developed an electric turbo that promises instant response.

But Volvo has taken a much simpler route (and we have to wonder why it hasn’t been done before), which uses compressed air to boost the turbo almost instantly, delivering proper turbo performance almost instantly and making the car much more responsive from the off.

Volvo has added an electrical compressor and a pressurised air tank, with fresh air taken via the air filter which is then stored and compressed in the pressurised tank, which is constantly refilled to ensure the compressed air boost is always available.

When the driver delivers a heavy right foot, a valve in the system opens and compressed air is released in to the exhaust manifold to feed the turbo, with the compressed air from PowerPulse spooling the turbo and delivering almost instant response.

The result of this appealingly simple solution is a small increase in power – around 10bhp – but a significant boost to take off response; as far as we can tell (and Volvo aren’t that interested in boasting about performance figures) the addition of PowerPulse has cut the 0-62mph by over 0.5s, and without impacting economy or emissions.

Clever stuff.

Volvo D5 PowerPulse Video