Volvo to Offer Own Version of Fuel-Efficient EcoBoost Engine in S60, V60 models

Volvo to Offer Own Version of Fuel-Efficient EcoBoost Engine in S60, V60 models

By John O'Dell September 1, 2010

Also Seeks $761 Million European Clean Transport Loan for Fuel Efficiency Development

Ford Motor Co. may have sold Volvo to China's Geely Holding Group, but the Swedish automaker's cars will continue to remind buyers of their Ford heritage for some time to come.

Volvo gets to continue using technologies introduced during the years Ford owned it, including the new EcoBoost engine system, which Volvo will call its GTDi engine - for "gasoline turbocharged direct injected." 

The Volvo engine will be a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder in two states of tune: the T3 with 148 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque, and the T4 with 177 horsepower and a base177 lb.-ft. of torque that can be jumped to 199 lb.-ft. with extra boost from the turbo.

The first use, announced today, will be on 2011 V60 and S60 models, which already come with diesel and larger gasoline engine options.

Volvo hasn't said whether it will use the suite of EcoBoost technologies in other models, but with just about every nation on the globe clamoring for more fuel-efficient cars, we imagine more will be coming,

EcoBoost, if you don't recall, is a system that increases an engine's power output while reducing fuel consumption. It allows automakers to use smaller engines in their cars to deliver better fuel economy with the performance of a lager-displacement and less-efficient engine.

Its key ingredients include turbocharging and direct injection - a fuel delivery system that enables a gasoline engine to mimic a diesel, and obtain diesel-like efficiency in the fuel combustion process by injecting highly compressed fuel directly into the cylinder rather than spraying it across the top of the cylinder at the intake port.

The deep cylinder injection results in more complete combustion of the fuel, improving fuel economy, reducing emissions and boosting power output.

Separately, Volvo said that it has increased its request for a loan from the European Investment Bank to 600 million euros ($761 million) from 500 million euros as it has changed the time frame for use of the funds to the 2010-2013 period from the original 2009-2012 period.

Much of the funding, if obtained, is to be used for development of fuel efficiency and carbon reduction technologies. The loan would come from the European investment Bank's clean transport financing program.  

John O'Dell:  is an AutoObserver Senior Editor. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.