Volvo's case of Dee Tees
New engine badges go against Volvo tradition and will confuse initiallyWhen is a T5 not a T5? When it's a new S60... Volvo's latest all-new midsize model, the S60, introduces more than sharp styling and tight dynamics. Launched this week in Europe, the new 3-Series combatant is the first from the Swedish manufacturer to feature the brand's new engine nomenclature.
Where in the past T5 designated a turbocharged petrol five-cylinder powerplant, in the case of the S60 and new Volvo models to come, T5 will define a powertrain that features a petrol engine of indeterminate capacity and/or cylinder count and a horsepower rating of around 200ps (170kW approx). In fact, when the S60 T5 arrives next year it will feature a high-output version of Volvo's new turbocharged direct-injection 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol mill.
S60 Project Director Tomas Ahlborg explained the new engine naming policy to the Carsales Network and other Aussie media at the car's launch in Portugal this week. He stated Volvo had earmarked designations ranging from 1 to 8 for future models. T1 will still signify a low output petrol engine, while D8 shows a very high output diesel powerplant.
"We want to get rid of the cylinder numbers and go to a designation that reflects power output," Ahlborg explained.
"[Our new] System is simple -- the higher the number, the higher the output. In the near future the D3 will not be a three-cylinder diesel but a mid-output engine."
According to Ahlborg the engine outputs that correspond to the numbers are not exact.
"Horsepower levels continue to move. The [new] system must also take into account the [extra] power provide by hybrid and electric drive systems," he said.
Ahlborg explained it was "enormously difficult" to decide on the change. But confirmed Volvo would roll it out across its model ranges.
"Some time you have to draw a line in the sand and do it. It's now only a matter of phasing it in, in a good way."
Though the T6 and D5 models with which the S60 will debut in Australia are six and five-cylinder engine respectively, the T5 and D3 versions also earmarked for Australia are four-cylinder petrol and five-cylinder turbodiesel engines respectively. To complicate matters, a lower output four-cylinder petrol engine offered for the S60 in Europe is called the 2.0 GTDi or 2.0T -- referencing a completely different nomenclature.
Volvo Australia sources confirmed models recently introduced Down Under such as the C30 2.0D will also change going forward.
| S60 International Engine line-up | ||||
| Engine range from start of production | ||||
| Petrol | Displacement | Configuration | Output | Torque |
| T6 | 3.0 | 6-cyl in-line | 304 bhp | 440 Nm |
| 2.0T | 2.0 | 4-cyl in-line | 203 bhp | 300 Nm |
| Diesel | Displacement | Configuration | Output | Torque |
| D5 | 2.4 | 5-cyl in-line | 205 bhp | 420 Nm |
| D3 | 2.0 | 5-cyl in-line | 163 bhp | 400 Nm |
| Engines added during first year of production: | ||||
| Petrol | Displacement | Configuration | Output | Torque |
| T5 | 2.0 | 4-cyl in-line | 240 bhp | 320 Nm |
| T4 | 1.6 | 4-cyl in-line | 180 bhp | 240 Nm |
| T3 | 1.6 | 4-cyl in-line | 150 bhp | 240 Nm |
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
