Bye-bye, good old diesel!
Volvo is expected to introduce the all-new S60 sedan to the world in the coming weeks, when it will become the first modern-day model of the company to be offered without a diesel engine. The decision is official and highlights Volvo’s “commitment to a long-term future beyond the traditional combustion engine.”
Based on the company’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), the new S60 will be offered with a mix of four-cylinder gasoline Drive-E engines (T6 and T5 at launch) and two hybrid powertrains. The electrified variants, shared with the V60 wagon, will be the T6 Twin Engine AWD setup with 340 horsepower (253 kilowatts), and the T8 Twin Engine AWD setup with 390 hp (290 kW) and 472 pound-feet (639 Newton-meters) of torque. Next year they will be joined by mild hybrid versions.
“Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines,” Hakan Samuelsson, CEO of Volvo, comments the decision to ditch the diesel engine. “We will phase out cars with only an internal combustion engine, with petrol hybrid versions as a transitional option as we move towards full electrification. The new S60 represents the next step in that commitment.”
Samuelsson is referring to Volvo’s ambitious plans to have at least 50 percent of its new cars sales by 2025 made by electric vehicles in what is described as “the most comprehensive electrification strategy in the car industry.” All new Volvos from next year will be available as a mild gasoline hybrid, plug-in gasoline hybrid, or battery electric vehicle.
Back to the next-gen S60, it will be manufactured exclusively at the marque’s brand new manufacturing facility outside Charleston, South Carolina. This will be the only production location for the model, which will be exported worldwide from the United States.
Note: Volvo S60 rendering pictured in the gallery.
Source: Volvo
The new Volvo S60 sedan - to be launched later this spring - will be the first Volvo to be produced without a diesel engine, highlighting Volvo Cars’ commitment to a long-term future beyond the traditional combustion engine.
All new Volvo models launched from 2019 will be available as either a mild petrol hybrid, plug-in petrol hybrid or battery electric vehicle. This is the most comprehensive electrification strategy in the car industry and Volvo Cars was the first traditional car maker to commit to all-out electrification in July 2017.
“Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. “We will phase out cars with only an internal combustion engine, with petrol hybrid versions as a transitional option as we move towards full electrification. The new S60 represents the next step in that commitment.”
Last month, Volvo Cars reinforced its electrification strategy, by stating that it aims for fully electric cars to make up 50 per cent of its global sales by 2025. The announcement was made at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show, positioning it as a powerful player in China, the world’s leading market for electrified cars.
The new S60, a premium mid-size sports sedan, is based on Volvo’s in-house developed Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which also underpins the company’s award-winning new 90 Series and 60 Series cars. The S60’s estate sibling, the V60, was launched earlier this year in Stockholm.
The new S60 will initially be available with a range of four-cylinder Drive-E petrol engines as well as with two petrol plug-in hybrid versions. Mild hybrid versions will follow next year.
Production of the new S60 will start this fall at Volvo Cars’ brand new manufacturing facility outside Charleston, South Carolina. The Charleston plant will be the only manufacturing location for the new S60, meaning American-built S60s will be sold in the US market as well as overseas through exports.