Will Volvo stop selling diesels soon?
Some might call it schizophrenic, others strictly logical, but no, Sweden’s premium carmaker has no intention of stopping diesel engine production over the next four to five years.
Lex Kerssemakers, senior VP at Volvo Cars Europe, told Autocar that the final generation of diesels is under development and will be released in June. They will be using a belt-driven starter-alternator on a 48-Volt circuit, as was made clear by the recent announcement on the revamped engines for the XC90 and XC60.
Indeed, it seems that the restyled XC90 willl inaugurate the new diesel engine - and Volvo's flagship will be around for at least another three years. The XC60 will be the second model to gain access to the re-engineered self-igniting four-cylinder and it stands to reason that this model will not be relieved of its duties before 2024.
S60 nej, V60 ja
There seems to be some confusion about Volvo’s strategy – especially since the launch of the new S60. Volvo’s Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C Class rival is no longer built in Europe, but in the USA, its biggest market, and therefore not available with a diesel anymore. It complies with Volvo's earlier statement that starting with the S60, every new model series will say nej, tack! to the D badge.
In line with Volvo’s motto “build them where you sell them” the estate version of the S60, i.e. the V60, is produced in Gothenburg, Sweden and Ghent, Belgium. It was launched a few months before the S60, so the new rule doesn't apply to it. A case of clever marketing, because Europeans – especially fleets – still want diesels in this segment, even though in far lesser numbers than before. Hence, it makes sense to keep the D3 and D4 models in the line-up.
All current Volvo diesels comply with the Euro 6d-temp emission standard. Some competitors, like Jaguar and Mercedes, already pass the Euro 6d test, making them more future-proof. For this reason, Volvo may very well make sure their next-gen diesel receives a Euro 6d type approval as well.
