Volvo Developing New 3-Cylinder Engines

New technology headed for brand's smaller vehicles

Tim Smith - CleanMPG - December 17, 2014



Send them over. --Ed.



Volvo announced that testing has begun for 3-cylinder engines derived from the new “Drive-E” platform. Drive-E is the car maker's line of down-sized, direct injected, and turbocharged engines which are displacing thirstier 5 and 6-cylinder engines of comparable power output. The 3-cylinder variants are expected to provide power outputs of 180hp and below, whereas 4-cylinder powerplants are rated at between 240hp and 302hp in US models.



Volvo states that this engine is being developed alongside their new C-segment Modular Architecture (or CMA if you're a fan of TLAs). CMA is a vehicle architecture intended to provide the future basis for the brand's smallest vehicles, such as the V40 wagon that is not currently available in the US. 60-series cars (the S60 sedan and V60 wagon) are also possible recipients, although industry trends make it difficult to imagine a “mere” 180hp engine arriving on US shores under the hood of a relatively upscale automobile. Still, it's an intriguing development.



The Swedish car maker has expressed an intention to expand its production of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, so it seems that the North American market would most likely see 3-cylinder engines as the basis of something like 60-series hybrid. That's just speculation on my part, but it seem reasonable given that 4-cylinder Drive-E engines will power the upcoming XC90 flagship SUV by themselves as well as in concert with a plug-in hybrid system. We will have to keep an eye on it as Volvo works to revamp its entire lineup over the coming years.

Volvo Developing New 3-Cylinder Engines