Volvo to replace 5- and 6-cylinder engines with three- and four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines

For Volvo to be able to comply with the stricter emissions regulations in Europe, the U.S. and China, it will halt its production of its lineup’s biggest engines within the next decade. Automotive News Europe had a chat with Volvo r&d boss Peter Mertens, who said that before the decade ends, all Volvo models “will have engines with no more than four cylinders." Beginning in 2013, this new range of three- and four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines will replace Volvo’s five- and six-cylinder gasoline engines as well as its five-cylinder diesel.

It’s likely that the VEA (Volvo Environmental Architecture) engine will first be used in one of Volvo's current models, says Autonews. The VEA family will offer four engines, including the 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline direct-injection and diesel engines and the 2.0-liter four-cylinder GDI and diesel engines. These will all be based on a 500cc cylinder displacement. Mertens said that Volvo’s four-cylinder engines will offer better performance than the existing six-cylinder units.

They will also offer lower fuel consumption than the current four-cylinder lineup. Volvo said that the new engines will weigh 90kg lighter than the existing units. The fuel economy of the new powerplants will also be improved by as much as 35%. The new VEA engines are seen as a significant strategy in Volvo's goal that by 2020, its annual sales will more than double to 800,000 cars. Volvo will invest $11 billion to be spent in the next five-year period to tap demand in markets such as China.[via : 4wheelsnews]

photo : Volvo Concept You