Volvo Cars ' new range of Drive-E powertrains takes the pleasure of fuel-efficient driving to a whole new level, where the number of cylinders is no longer important in describing performance and driving characteristics. The first three engines from the Drive-E range of two-liter four-cylinders will be introduced during the fall of 2013. The diesel version is the first in the world to come with i-Art technology, and the most powerful gasoline version is equipped with an unusual combination of supercharger and turbocharger in its class.
The entire Drive-E range of engines, which was called the Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA) during the development phase, basically consists of two four-cylinder engines, one diesel with common-rail injection and one gasoline unit with direct fuel injection. These aggregates will replace the current eight architectures based on three platforms. The power of the diesel engines of the Drive-E series will range from 120 to 230 hp . Gasoline versions will start at 140 horsepower and the most powerful of them will exceed 300 horsepower .
Thanks to several levels of turbocharging, the possibilities for creating a wide range of aggregates from the most economical versions to units with high values of power and torque are opened up. In order to satisfy the demands of all customers, the performance of some versions will be increased with a hybrid drive or with the help of other modern technologies.
Three Drive-E engines
The new S60, V60 and XC60 models will initially be offered with three engines from the new range: a 306bhp T6 turbocharged petrol unit, a 245bhp T5 version and a 181bhp D4 turbodiesel. The new eight-speed automatic transmission will contribute to the refined driving characteristics and further reduction of fuel consumption. The T5 and D4 engines will also be available for the new Volvo V70, XC70 and S80 models. All engines were developed in-house by Volvo Cars experts. Their production takes place at Volvo Car Group's state-of-the-art plant in Skövde, Sweden.
To ensure a flexible and smooth transmission of power and to further reduce fuel consumption, the engines are connected to either a new eight-speed automatic transmission or an improved six-speed manual transmission , which has been tuned with an emphasis on the lowest possible fuel consumption. “ Drive-E 's sophisticated technologies will provide customers with high performance, lower fuel consumption, significantly lower emissions and an attractive soundscape. Our four-cylinder engines will offer higher performance than today's six-cylinders , while their consumption will be lower than that of current four-cylinders," says Derek Crabb . He adds: “If you compare the four-cylinder Drive-E with any six-cylinder engine, you will find that for the same power the new unit is significantly lighter and smaller. Fuel savings range from 10 to 30 percent, depending on which engine you compare the new unit to."
Diesel engines with unique i-Art technology
Diesel engines are the first in the world to be equipped with i-Art technology. With feedback from each injector instead of using a traditional single pressure sensor on the common-rail stack , i-Art technology allows for continuous monitoring and adaptation of fuel injection to the combustion cycle of each of the four cylinders.
"Increasing the pressure in the common reservoir (rail) to an exceptionally high value of 2,500 bar together with the application of i-Art technology can be described as the second step of the revolution in diesel engines . This is a turning point comparable to our invention of the ground-breaking oxygen sensor for catalytic converters in 1976. At the same time, this is another world first for the Volvo brand in passenger cars," says Derek Crabb .
Each injector has a small computer on it that monitors the injection pressure. Based on this information, the adaptive i-Art system ensures the injection of the ideal amount of fuel during each combustion cycle. The combination of higher injection pressure and i-Art technology brings customers engines with lower fuel consumption, significantly lower emissions, high performance and, last but not least, also with an attractive sound. Diesel engines also come with other improvements, such as state-of-the -art two-stage turbocharging , reduced friction, or an intelligent valve in the cooling system that contributes to faster engine warm-up during a cold start.
Gasoline engine with compressor and turbocharger
Thanks to the supercharger, the lower part of the torque curve of this gasoline engine resembles a big naturally aspirated engine. The mechanically linked supercharger starts working immediately at low revs, and the turbocharger is added after the pressure builds up to the required value. Other improvements to the Drive-E petrol engines include friction-reducing measures such as ball bearings on the camshaft, high-speed variable valve timing, and intelligent cooling with a variable electric water pump.
Ready for electrification
Drive-E engines are prepared from the start for the future electrification of vehicles. Key components such as the integrated starter/alternator can be easily connected and the electric motor can be located both in the front and rear of the vehicle thanks to the four-cylinder's compact dimensions. The battery pack will be located in the middle part of the car. Volvo Car Group believes that the focus on four-cylinder Drive-E powertrains is the right way to achieve an attractive combination of performance, handling and fuel economy.
“The power an engine is capable of delivering does not depend on its size; the most important criterion is the amount of air that can flow through the engine. Engine consumption also decreases in proportion to its size. So if you can manage to get more air into a smaller engine, you can get the same performance but with lower consumption," explains Derek Crabb , concluding: "When I was involved in engine development for Formula 1 , there were turbocharged engines with a displacement of 1 .5 liter, which had a power of over 900 horses . And our new Volvo Drive-E engines have also already been tested on the race track. The engine we used in Volvo's World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in 2011 was a prototype Drive-E unit and we set a new track record with our engine at the last race.
Source: Volvo
