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Volvo S60 first to dump diesel engines

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The next Volvo S60 saloon will be the first model from the Swedish brand not to offer a diesel engine amongst its powertrains.

No future new models will offer a diesel option either, Volvo saying that the lack of such engines highlights the brand’s commitment to a long-term future beyond the traditional combustion engine.

In July 2017 Volvo was the first traditional car maker to commit to all-out electrification, and from 2019 all models launched by the brand will be available as either a mild petrol hybrid, plug-in petrol hybrid or battery electric vehicle. Volvo describes this plan as the most comprehensive electrification strategy in the car industry.

“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.”

Volvo XC60 powertrain The Car Expert
Twin engine powertrains as used on the XC60 will b effete din the S60.

Targeting the premium sector’s mass-selling BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the new S60 is the latest model to be built on the in-house-developed Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, also used on the recently launched 90 series and the V60 estate launched earlier this year in Stockholm.

The new S60 will initially be available with a range of four-cylinder Drive-E petrol engines and two petrol plug-in hybrid options. Mild hybrid versions will follow next year and all versions will be built at a brand-new plant outside Charleston, South Carolina – America is a core market for the model.

At the 2018 Beijing Auto Show last month, Volvo stated that it is aiming for fully electric cars to make up 50% of its global sales by 2025. China is the world’s leading market for electrified cars.

Volvo V60 The Car Expert
The S60 will join its estate sister the V60 in the Volvo line-up.

 

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Andrew Charman
Andrew Charman
Andrew is a road test editor for The Car Expert. He is a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and has been testing and writing about new cars for more than 20 years. Today he is well known to senior personnel at the major car manufacturers and attends many new model launches each year.