Volvo says goodbye to diesels

Volvo is the latest automaker to steer clear of new diesel engines. The Swedish luxury car maker, now owned by Chinese automaker Geely, will invest its resources into electric and hybrid cars. Volvo will not develop new diesel engines for its upcoming range of cars. The new S60 will be the first Volvo to be offered without a diesel engine option for the US market. The luxury car, which takes on cars, such as the Audi A4, the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes Benz C-Class among others, will be sold with four-cylinder Drive-E petrol engines and two petrol plug-in hybrid versions. Mild hybrid versions will follow next year.

The S60 luxury sedan will be launched in India later this year. Unlike the US-spec version, the India-spec S60 will continue to get diesel engine options, but these engines are on their way out in the coming years. The all-new Volvo S60 is based on the Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA), which underpins other Volvo cars including the XC90 luxury SUV and the V60 station wagon. The car will be an entry-level Volvo luxury sedan, meant for those seeking a safety-packed and solidly built car, at a relatively affordable price tag. Volvo is expected to assemble the S60 sedan in India, at its CKD assembly plant near Bangalore.

As for pricing, the new S60 is likely to undercut its German rivals by at least 10%, making it a value for money proposition. Coming to the global shift away from diesel engines, multiple automakers have pulled the plug on diesel motors mainly for the European market. Europe has traditionally led new development for diesel engines, making them more fuel efficient, refined, powerful and less polluting. With leading automakers such as Toyota, Fiat and now Volvo dumping the diesel engine in key markets, it’s just a matter of time before diesel power is phased out from cars across the globe. The end seems to be in sight for diesel.

Via ACI