Volvo Drive E engines are in South Africa. The Swedish car maker has launched a bevy of new engines into the South African market at a launch in Nelspruit. The aim of this launch was to refine the current Volvo line-up and introduce powerful, yet frugal new powerplants.

Volvo also took the opportunity to show off its all-new eight-speed gearbox, which on paper sounds like it has the engineering to be able to match the twin-clutch setups from its German rivals. Mechanically the gearbox is able to improve fuel consumption by as much as 35%, and the actual gearbox units are between 30 and 50kg lighter than their predecessors.

I can remember when the Volvo S60 and V60 were launched, and you had many engine options at your disposal. In fact, there were no fewer than eight (both petrol and diesel) motors in varying capacities to choose from. Now, there are two four cylinder motors with different power outputs. These engines are developed solely by Volvo and manufactured in the town of Skovde.

Emissions and economy priority

The main aim of these new engines is to meet the current and future emission/economy legislation. Sadly, emission laws are becoming stricter and car companies are being forced to downsize. These new engines are efficient and economical, yet still have enough power to keep things interesting.

Volvo South Africa bought in Malin Labecker, the manager for cylinder systems at Volvo HQ in Gothenberg. She’s very passionate about engines and their components, and has worked on many of the current products. She talked about the current products and chatted about future technology such as superturbocharging (similar to the TFSI tech from Volkswagen). It’s always fascinating talking technology with, arguably, a leader in her field. Labecker is immensely proud her engines are greener and more efficient than any of Volvo’s competitors.

Available to test drive in rather rainy conditions were petrol and diesel variants of the S60 sedan, V60 and XC60. I have always enjoyed the powerful refinement of a Volvo diesel engine and a white S60 D4 was my first choice. I then climbed into a petrol-powered S60 T5, before ending off with a bigger XC60 T5. I wanted to see if the 2.0-litre turbocharged motor could handle the added mass of the bigger SUV, and I came away satisfied. I can happily report that on the swooping and curvy roads around Nelspruit, Hazyview and White River, both the new engines performed well.

All-new eight-speed gearbox

The new-speed gearbox is simply superb. In sport mode the ‘box shifts with a satisfying mechanical clunk between gears, which I quite enjoyed. When left in full auto mode, it works well and can change down very quickly like when you need to perform an overtake. The car went from eighth, to fifth, to third in less than a second, which then put it right in the sweet torque spot of the motor.

Volvo Drive E Petrol impressions

The turbo petrol is refined and powerful, giving the S60 a nice dynamic edge. The S60 isn’t a performance car though, but this engine complements it nicely. Power is rated at 180 kW, while torque is a commanding 350 Nm. Emissions and economy is what these new motors are all about, and the S60 T5 is claimed to consume just 5.9l/100km with just 137g/km of CO2 making its way out the exhausts.

Volvo Drive E Diesel impressions

As mentioned earlier, I’ve always admired Volvo’s diesel engines and the new D4 is a terrific piece of engineering. It’s remarkably refined, offers tremendous overtaking ability yet is really quiet. You’d be excused for forgetting the engine is still running… The diesel has 133 kW and 400 Nm, impressive figures for a 2.0-litre diesel. Fuel consumption is reportedly 4.1l/100km with CO2 emissions coming in at 107g/km.

2014 will be a busy year for the Swedes and there’s talk of a lot more in terms of product launches and cool technology. Watch this space.

Volvo Drive-E Gallery