With governing bodies tightening the emissions noose around automakers, there’s really no other way but down, in displacement, that is. Almost all manufacturers are aboard the turbocharged downsizing boat and sailing in pretty much the same direction with little variation to the formula – Volvo will add its name to the list, because as of 2016 it’s going to release its own lineup of such power plants.
We already knew about its plan to decrease the size of all of their cars’ engines, and, for instance, the fact that the all-new XC90 is getting no units bigger than 2.0-liter should provide some indication of what they’re planning further in the future with their smaller offerings.
Derek Crabb, the man in charge of Volvo’s powertrains, confirmed it and added that the new units would not find their way into anything bigger than the S60 – it’s not going to be used in any XC-badged models. This is being done in order to avoid “mass electrification” of its range, which would make far less financial sense than just having smaller engines with turbos.
They do plan to go electric, but want to push that point further into the future, by about ten years – they hope that by 2025 EV tech will have become more accessible.
Note: Four-pot Drive-E engines pictured
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