The new Volvo XC60
Soon after Volvo was bought over by Geely, the company announced during the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show that moving forward, it would be ditching its five-, six- and eight-cylinder engines, proclaiming that none of its future models will be powered by engines with more than than four cylinders.
During a press conference at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show, CEO Håkan Samuelsson admitted that even he was not completely on board with the bold idea at first, according to CarAdvice. Samuelsson only took over the reins in 2012 and hence wasn’t at the helm when Volvo proclaimed its statement of intent.
However, Gothenburg’s success with the critically-acclaimed Drive-E engine range (including the 407 hp T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid sold here), which drove down fleet average emissions and fuel consumption, has turned him around. “Absolutely, I think we’re even more committed,” he said. “Two years ago you could ask me that, and probably I would have had to answer a different way. But today, I’m absolutely convinced.”
Samuelsson said that the response to the downsized powertrains has been very positive. “Even in the US,” he said. “The XC90 was even truck of the year in the US – a big SUV with a four-cylinder engine. That’s a good indication that we took the right decision.”
He also explained why Volvo went down the route of producing smaller engines. “The number one reason is to bring down fuel consumption; you have lower friction in a smaller engine, it has better consumption. There is [also] cost, especially in installation – even if you get an engine from a partner, which we got from Ford, installing it in the car is a nightmare with all the piping and everything.”
Samuelsson added that since it moved to the modular Versatile Engine Architecture (VEA), the complexities of building cars have also decreased. “I think we had eight different engines in the old Volvo, all different and all requiring different wiring harnesses,” he said.
“That’s of course a lot of complexity – and it eats up the synergy in the base engine itself. Now we have a four-cylinder, always installed in the same way – so it’s much more modular and positive.”
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bring back the inline 5’s
Hnnnggghhh TEEPAI (T5)!
T8 inline 8’s ??!
Volvo sell over 500,000 units last year, only have 1 engine. So modular and flexible, can become petrol or diesel, turbo or supercharge, add electric powertrain, etc.
Proton don’t even sell 20% of Volvo, syok sendiri wanna make 7 engines, can eksyen with Volvo’s parent, think they know more than them.
Geely > all
Volvo > all
CRV at half of XC90 price, but same-same.
Honda > Volvo China
But when Honda crush with Volvo, Honda become deadwood.
But since both 5 star NCAP, then same-same deadwood
Real men buy ori.
Newer Honda looks like some china copycat of Volvo.
Ironically Volvo is the tongsan brand. Copycat tongsan got copycatted, tongsanception?
Errr, technically there’s only ‘1 engine’, with the design being modular. Even the 1.5 vs 1.3 variant uses the same bore size, only the difference being in stroke.
As for the smaller size (3-cyl), seems like Proton really needs them a lot for compact cars. Even that derived from the modular design.
See for yourself,
https://paultan.org/2016/02/01/protons-new-engine-line-up-why-so-many-variants/
Oh ok, I’m sorry. I’m going against the narrative of “God forbid Proton to even do something’s right”. So yeah, please keep bashing them. Pretend that this post is invisible.
How are you expected to reach volume if you simply make all engines at once? There’s no sense of focus at all. Think in manufacturing : lesser volume of more variant, higher cost per unit, longer breakeven period. Being modular only means it allows to make this much variant, doesn’t necessarily mean need to.
Volvo’s approach is far more concentrated, the engine has far more commonalities across all range at core, then a matter of adding turbo, both super and turbo or electric powertrain. Only Volvo and Mazda uses aluminium block for their diesel engines, that is some level of engineering achievement that helps them to achieve volume by sharing material for petrol and diesel block, reduce cost per unit, hasten breakeven point.
And over the past 4 years since introducing Drive-E, they’ve certainly made over a million Drive-E powertrain, they’d still keep it simple. Only last year they started introducing 1.5L version of Drive-E, still 4-cylinder with shorter stroke.
They’ve yet to bring to market the triple-boost design with 450hp (even potentially 600hp when paired with electric motor), nor the 3-cylinder version of Drive-E. Ingat suka2 senang2 chop off 1 cylinder, make 2 different stroke config from same engine?
And that is with all their abundant resources available to them by Geely’s cash, they don’t seem to develop everything at once like Proton did, and that is with sales over 7X more than Proton. They concentrate 1 course until successful, 1 step at a time. BS la if proton can do better than Volvo with so much less resources, RM600mil, and with sales volume circa 70k, don’t make me laugh.
Damn straight, if I am Proton, I’ll just concentrate on getting to market 1.5 L N/A and turbo 4-cylinder ASAP. The rest all can wait, just like Volvo push aside other variants slowly to market. And what stupid brain they have to think they’ll make upcoming saga even smaller, to only fit 3-cylinder engine only?! Topkek. Even as of now, Saga should never be made, better they just concentrate single small sedan Persona with both 1.3 and 1.6 instead of current 2 small sedans. Dah tau no volume, simplify laaa.
Such arrogance. No wonder Geely tulan with syok sendiri Proton edi.
Now let’s see you pretend this post is invisible. Doesn’t take an engineer (I’m not one) to see Proton’s doomed to fail strategy again. Just need common sense sorely lacking in Proton.
Ditch Volvo. Get honda at half the price! At least is jepunis overlord.
Deswai Proton bloated macam Gahmen civil service. Just need common sense sorely lacking in both
What’s said above been done before, last time p1 got similar B and C segments, pipu bashed. So now p1 got A and B segment basher said only one segment is enough pulak.
Topkek
Later bashers say why p1 has 1.5l engine only?
Dun even know it has difefrent output. Example n/a campro 1.6l and cfe 1.6l
For bashers all are wrong, topkek
I was going to type some comments here BUt after reading both Kunta & tokmoh comments, I’m convinced that I cannot add any extra value 2 what have already been said. Cheers 2 Kunta & tokmoh.
Cheers m8.
Janji Volvo > all
Lol nothing to shout about, it’s old old idea that been done before. Remember P1 got persona and waja in same segment? It is to “concentrate” to cater small volume. So now when P1 has A B C segments basher said one segment is enough pulak.
Topkek
Agree. Sell to Chinese manufacturer. Proton don’t make flip flop decision like a fools. Just sell it to Geely. You won’t regret of this amazing business deal. Opportunity doesn’t come frequently. Sell Now or Never Foever. Most important is Rakyat money can be saved from Proton vampire for God sake.
Sama cerita
That won’t work bro as u have seen in the news, Proton and Hicom still insist on their own ways to run the company so Geely being the smart buyer decided to leave proton to rot and die which it should have been 10 years ago.
Well done Volvo. The car looks great now
Too bad syok sendiri is their budaya.
They need Geely more than Geely needs them. Yet, they had the gals to ask this ask that, Geely tulan edi.
Geely has the money, they happily give USD11billion to Volvo, cuz they know they put the right people in Volvo, so they’ll definitely produce results.
Geely must be wanna do the same for Proton, get rid of deadwoods, and put the right people in. Takkan just wanna give billions of dollar, but no control at all how to run the business? Ingat Geely bodoh ke?
Volvo is good but to catch up benz and merz image, it is still a long way to go
So I guess it’s a lost for Proton when Geely pulled out. They could have add “Related to Volvo” next to “Handling by Lotus” to the back of their cars.