Volvo has introduced a High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept to further demonstrate its technological leadership in emission-reducing turbo technology.

Unique combination of performance and efficiency

The High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept is based on a set of technologies which are not usually found in a four-cylinder engine.

The new engine features two parallel turbos which are fed by an electrically-operated turbo compressor, and instead of pushing compressed air into the cylinders, the compressor is used to spool up two parallel turbochargers. Fuel is fed by a dual fuel pump working at 250 bar pressure, and Volvo adds that this setup enables a very dynamic drivability without any turbo lag, compared to a mono-turbo.

We have already seen the company’s twin-charged two-litre engine (supercharged and turbocharged) in production, while the new T6 Drive-E that replaced the inline-six can be seen in the S60, V60 and XC60, producing over 224 kW, while also on the brand new XC90, the T6 powerplant is rated at 239 kW. However this new triple-charged two-litre four-cylinder petrol engine prototype is set to be a more powerful variant that produces ‘no less than 335 kW.’

‘When we launched the Drive-E powertrain family, our aim was to deliver the most advanced 4-cylinder engines in the industry based on emissions and fuel consumption relative to performance and drivability,’ says Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Volvo Car Group.

‘We knew that 239 kW in our petrol configuration was just a starting point. The 335 kW High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept, demonstrates this ambition and the versatility of the Drive-E Powertrains.’

At present, the engine is still in the concept phase but Volvo is working closely with AVL and Denso, as well as its performance partner Polestar to further develop the technology.

Volvo shows 335 kW four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine