Volvo Car Corporation DRIVe diesels with automatic transmission now deliver same fuel consumption as manual versions
29 November 2011
Volvo Car Corporation’s 1.6-liter diesel combined with the automatic Powershift gearbox now delivers the same low fuel consumption and CO2 levels as the manual DRIVe versions. The combination of the four-cylinder, 1.6-liter diesel engine (115 hp) with the six-speed Powershift gearbox is available in four models: Volvo S60, V60, V70 and S80.
Fuel consumption in the Volvo S60 with the 1.6D engine and Powershift is 4.3 L/100km (54.7 mpg US). This translates into CO2 emissions of 114 g/km. The corresponding figures for the Volvo V60, V70 and S80 with the same engine and gearbox are 4.5 L/100 km (52.3 mpg US) and 119 g/km. The low consumption and emission levels are the result of a number of technological improvements:
- Friction between gearbox components has been reduced.
- The engine and gearbox software have been modified.
- The start/stop system cuts off the diesel engine when the car is still rolling (below 5 km/h).
- All electrical systems have been optimized to create lower energy consumption.
Volvo has also reduced CO2 emissions from the turbocharged, 1.6-liter T3 gasoline engine with manual gearbox down to 139 g/km.
Volvo Car Corporation’s DRIVe Towards Zero also includes improvements of the gasoline engines. By optimizing the four-cylinder, 1.6-liter T3 engine (150 hp), which is available in the Volvo S60 and V60, engineers managed to bring fuel consumption down do 5.8 L/100 km (40.6 mpg US) in the S60. This corresponds to CO2 emissions at 135 g/km.
The figures for the direct-injected T3 engine combined with automatic Powershift in a Volvo S60 are 7.1 L/100km (33.1 mpg US) and 164 g/km.
Keeping the CO2 emissions below 140 grams is essential since this is a level used by many fleet customers. We have managed to do this in the T3 version through a number of small, significant improvements. We have also optimized the gearbox gearing for maximum fuel efficiency without loosing the engine characteristics.
—Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development
Mertens said that one-third of the research budget is earmarked for reducing CO2 emissions. Volvo will introduce the four-cylinder Environmental Architecture engine range in future models. (Earlier post.)
Since a lot of years car manufacturers have tame down the sensibility of the gas pedal with delays, hesitations and hiccups to get higher mpg on formal testing. I have a manual 2005 chrysler neon manual and it's almost impossible to shift a speed without hiccups.
I guess that with this article the message is that manufacturers have taken the total right wing control over the gas pedal and it's not you anymore that control the power delivery.
Postpone any expenditures toward these car manufacturers and find something else to buy until they restart selling good manual transmission cars.
Posted by: A D | 29 November 2011 at 08:04 AM
Or, buy an EV without mechanical transmission.
Posted by: HarveyD | 29 November 2011 at 09:55 AM
I asked many time for an EV, not a battery EV but a fuelcell EV. That's the better car configuration that can be. Lots of power, long range, few costs, no pollution. It was rejected by car compagnies due to a push of GREENCARCONGRESS website against hydrogen fuelcell to proteck dubious jobs in the ''science'' field of workers. Since that time we fuss with silly battery cars rejected wholheartedly by consumers worldwide.
Posted by: A D | 29 November 2011 at 12:33 PM