Most of the talk in the last few months about Volvo has revolved around Ford’s efforts to ditch the last of its prestige marques in its fight for survival. Poor old Volvo appears to have been hawked around the world’s car makers in the hope of finding a fit for the pride of Sweden. But there have been no takers so far, not even Volvo trucks or the Swedish Government.
But it’s good to see that Volvo are pushing forward and establishing some independence from its masters in the U.S. We reported recently on the good-looking Volvo S60 concept, which seems to show Volvo’s future styling cues, and now comes the announcement that Volvo is delivering up a new diesel engine for its S80 in the UK.
The Volvo S80 gets a new diesel engine
The new diesel engine is still a 5-pot, with 2.4 litres, twin turbos, ceramic glow plugs and piezoelectric injectors. It is cleaner and more powerful than the outgoing engine, with 205bhp and 310ft/lb of torque. It meets the really harsh Euro 5 emission standards with only 165g/km of Co2 and manages over 45mpg.
This new engine uses similar technology to the new Jaguar 3.0 litre diesel, in that it uses two turbos to smooth the power curve, and give a more linear acceleration. These new diesels are getting very clever, and more economical, and are, to a degree, a vindication of the harsh emission targets set by governments around the world. The reason for the targets is mis-conceived, but the results are admirable.
I’m even getting to like diesel engines!
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