Ken Gratton•30 Aug 2013
NEWS
Volvo Drive-E engines due Q1
But revised 60 Series family will arrive here firstVolvo Australia will begin rolling out updated models powered by its Drive-E (VEA) engines before the end of the first quarter next year.
Speaking with journalists during the launch of the Volvo V40 Cross Country, local MD Matt Braid hinted that the engines would make their local debut in one or more of the three '60 Series' models (S60, V60, XC60), but refused to reveal any further details.
"Those engines start to appear in some shape or form in our model range at the end of the first quarter next year," he said.
"The 60 family [S60, V60 and XC60] gets updated before that... but the powertrains slot in after it."
It's yet to be determined by Volvo Australia which engines will be selected for local-spec vehicles – and in what state of tune. Braid did disclose, however, that those frugal 'Drive-E' powerplants will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
If the 60 Series cars introduce the new engines in Australia, it will likely pose a minor challenge for the local arm of the company, needing to be selective ordering 2014 model year vehicles from the factory, since some of them will be made redundant by VEA-powered vehicles arriving within a matter of months.
"The Model Year 14, which is the new S60, XC60 and V60 – that's just launched in Europe now – they start arriving mid-October; probably for an on-sale date of November this year," said Braid.
Presumably that will mean some overlap in sales of VEA and non-VEA vehicles during the calendar year 2014, but there's also the likelihood that Volvo Australia will elect to discontinue some models or introduce new variants that don't succeed specific variants from the earlier model range.
The VEA engines are expected to trickle down to the V40 and derivatives in due course also.
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Written byKen Gratton
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