Volvo's state-of-the-art diesel
Volvo has announced that it will slot in a new 2.4-litre D5 turbodiesel engine under the snout of its V50 Sportswagon range to boost its popularity in the diesel-dominated Euro market.The new D5 five-cylinder engine punches out 130kW and 350Nm, which is claimed to provide a 0-100km/h split of 8.8 seconds in the geartronic-equipped V50. The diesel also complies with Euro IV emission regulations and its particulate filter is claimed to reduce soot particles by 95 per cent
The new five-cylinder unit will join Volvo's Euro line-up from mid-2006, supplementing the existing four-cylinder 102kW 2.0D, which is currently the most popular V50 Sportswagon variant in Europe.
Volvo claims the combination of the higher performance of the larger 2.4-litre D5 engine in the Volvo V50 will make it an attractive and competitive alternative to other premium diesel rivals, such as the Audi A4 Avant 2.5TDI (120kW) and the ubiquitous BMW 3-Series touring 320D (122kW).
The diesel will also become available in the all new Volvo C70 coupe/convertible in mid-2006, and Volvo hopes it will make an impact against diesel-powered soft-tops from Audi and BMW.
The D5 engine is derived from Volvo's second-generation D5 engines introduced to the S60 sedan, V70 estate, XC70 AWD and XC90 AWD models earlier this year, but in order to fit the five-cylinder engine into the V50's smaller engine compartment, the entire engine installation and most of the ancillaries have been modified.
Locally, Volvo is yet to join the growing diesel brigade, but the precedent set by Citroen, Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen and Peugeot means it can only be a matter of time before it does so.
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.
