THE ALL-NEW VOLVO S60 DRIVe AND V60 DRIVe
Drivers wanting the highest levels of driving dynamics and class-leading safety as well as the lowest levels of emissions now have yet another choice in the Volvo range. The all-new Volvo S60 DRIVe and V60 DRIVe offer sub-120 g/km emissions from their 1.6 litre turbo diesel engines.
Fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox and start/stop technology, the S60 and V60 DRIVe cars produce just 114 g/km and 119 g/km respectively. These low CO2 producing models also deliver low fuel consumption figures of 65.7 mpg for the S60 and 62.8 mpg for the V60 (EU combined cycle).
The all-new S60 DRIVe and V60 DRIVe are available in all trim levels - ES, SE, SE Lux and the newly launched R-Design specification. The on-the-road price of the S60 DRIVe ES is available from £23,495 while the V60 DRIVe ES only commands a premium of just over £1,000, starting at £24,670.
The low CO2 emissions and a starting price for the S60 DRIVe ES also offers good news for company car buyers looking at their Benefit In Kind payments. The V60 is Best in Class while the S60 beats its' German rivals. For the S60 DRIVe ES, drivers will pay just £51 a month for 20% tax payers and £53 a month for the V60 DRIVe ES. Leasing rates for both the S60 DRIVe and V60 DRIVe start at £279 a month.
The new 1.6 litre DRIVe engine ensures both models fall below the 120 g/km threshold meaning that there is no first year road tax and thereafter, only a £30 a year road tax bill delivering good news for retail and business users alike.
The new to the S60 and V60 1.6 litre turbo diesel is the same engine as fitted to the London Congestion Charge beating Volvo C30, S40 and V50. With minor modifications made to suit the characteristics of the S60 and V60, it helps both cars achieve CO2 emissions below the all important 120g/km threshold.
Drivers who want an economical yet sports derived look to their car, now also have the choice of the S60 or V60 DRIVe R-Design. Both models benefit from re-styled front and rear bumpers, chassis modifications to enhance the driving dynamics and unique R-Design interior modifications.
Production of the S60 DRIVe and V60 DRIVe has already begun with customer vehicles expecting to be delivered in April 2011.
The DRIVe Details
The 1.6 litre engine is fitted in a transverse configuration with four cylinders, eight valves and a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry. This all helps to give the cars a healthy power output of 115PS with 270Nm of torque while still delivering outstanding CO2 figures resulting in low fuel consumption. To keep fuel consumption as low as possible, the cylinders are fed via a common rail system fitted with Piezo electrically controlled fuel injectors to maximize precise fuel delivery.
In order to meet the stringent Euro 5 emission regulations, the engine is fitted with a controlled exhaust gas recirculation system and combined catalytic converter and diesel particulate filter (DPF). The coating present in the DPF allows the engine to fulfill these requirements without the need for additional additives previously necessary in some variants.
Start/Stop technology (disabled via the DRIVe button on the centre console) helps to reduce fuel consumption by up to 5% in the combined cycle by automatically switching off the engine when the vehicle is at a standstill. Ensuring the interior climate and infotainment controls are unaffected by the engine stopping, there is an auxiliary battery located behind the front bumper ensuring a constant electrical supply, along with various sensors monitoring the driver settings. Due to the obvious increased number of engine starts required, a more robust starter motor has been fitted, rated to manage up to three times more starts than a standard starter motor.
To help boost economy during driving, the S60 and V60 DRIVe are fitted with Brake Energy Regeneration. This uses the car's own kinetic energy to charge the battery. Once the battery has reached 80% charge, the engine management will only engage the alternator during negative torque (engine braking). Because of this, there is less energy drawn from the engine, saving up to 3% of the car's fuel consumption.
Due to the aerodynamically clean lines of the S60 and V60, no modifications are required to the bodywork or chassis set-up to help meet the sub-120/km C02 figure produced by both models. The DRIVe models (except R-Design and cars fitted with 18" Sleipner alloy wheels upgrade) come fitted with Michelin's Energy Saver tyre to help reduce rolling resistance.
The S60 and V60 - Volvo's most dynamic cars
The all-new S60 and V60 were launched in 2010 and have already become a firm favourite with drivers, culminating in the vehicles being one of the seven finalists for the Car of the Year 2011. The four door saloon and the coupé-styled sportswagon feature Volvo's most dynamic chassis and advanced safety features.
With driving characteristics never seen before in a Volvo, the driver orientated dynamics allows the vehicle to be enjoyable to drive, command road presence and be totally predictable, no matter what road conditions it encounters. Both vehicles feature the pioneering Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake which uses a mixture of radar, laser and camera technology to recognise a human over 80cm tall and will brake the vehicle automatically if it calculates an impending impact.
The all-new Volvo S60 was the most dynamic and safest Volvo ever when launched mid-2010. When the V60 joined the line-up, the future direction of design and driving dynamics could be clearly seen. The S60 benefits from a stylish coupé-like design and the V60 from a dramatic evolution of the S60 styling but with added versatility. Both are available with choice of seven engines, from the 1.6D DRIVe, through the newly launched petrol variants and the well known diesels, up to the 304PS T6 AWD.
Announced at the Geneva Motorshow in March 2011, the V60 is also available in Volvo Ocean Race specification. To celebrate the start of the fourth Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo Cars have launched three limited edition models specifically designed with the sailing adventure in mind. Design details inspired by life on board a boat help distinguish these models from their standard counterparts with unique interior and exterior refinements.
The Volvo Ocean Race Editions will be available to order in the all-new Volvo V60, XC60 and XC70 from April 2011 with customer cars expected to be delivered in July 2011. Engine availability and pricing have yet to be confirmed in the UK.
Those customers with an S60 D5 or V60 D5 are also able to further enhance their vehicle by taking advantage of Volvo's relationship with it's motorsport partner Polestar by upgrading the engine's performance from 205 horsepower (hp) to 225 hp for £645 fully fitted.
Volvo Cars' Environmental Vision
"DRIVe Towards Zero" is Volvo Cars' vision for developing cars entirely free from harmful exhaust emissions and environment-impacting carbon dioxide.
At a time when pressure on the automobile industry is perhaps greater than ever before, there is a sparkling combination of creativity and ambition that is helping the drive towards increasingly efficient cars and the essential phasing-out of fossil fuels. Not least at Volvo. The company continues to prioritise its focus on advanced green technology.
Between the years 2006 and 2014, Volvo Cars will invests a massive SEK 15 billion in research and development with the aim of reducing the fuel consumption and environmental emissions of its cars.
Volvo's environmental dedication dates back to the 1970s and encompasses the car's entire lifecycle, from design, construction and production to use, servicing and recycling. The main focus is on efficient energy and resource utilisation, reduced emissions and non-allergenic car interiors.
2008 saw the introduction of the DRIVe badge, a collective symbol for Volvo Cars' dedication to greener motoring. The new symbol reflects the company's commitment to sustainable mobility and zero emissions, at the same time as it includes a promise of constant improvement.
The DRIVe badge is fitted to those models that offer the best environmental performance in their respective segments. Volvo's belief is that economy should come without any detriment to the driving and usability of the vehicle, therefore the interior and versatility of each DRIVe vehicle does not differ from its' other variants.
Those models offering DRIVe versions include the London Congestion Charge beating C30, S40 and V50, along with the S60, V60, XC60 and XC70, while in spring 2011 the Volvo V70 DRIVe (119 g/km) and Volvo S80 DRIVe (119 g/km) will become available with the further-enhanced Euro V diesel engine.
This means that drivers will have a choice of nine DRIVe models, of which seven produce CO2 emissions of under 120 g/km and three below 100 g/km.
"We have moved ahead very quickly since we launched our first three 119 gram models in Paris in autumn 2008. The fact that we now have seven models below 120 g/km, three of them below 100 grams, emphasises that few of our competitors can match us in the drive for increasingly eco-efficient cars," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stefan Jacoby.
Volvo Car UK is also championing its' Emission Equality Campaign. Launched in 2009, Volvo challenged and successfully convinced the Mayor of London to review the basis of charging in the London Congestion zone. 2010 saw the launch of the free iPhone App allowing consumers to view the non-CO2 emissions of new cars via an environmental label similar to those displayed on most whitegoods. In February 2011, a 'Think Tank' which comprises of environmental experts and leading journalists met for the first time, aiming to put air quality firmly at the forefront of peoples' minds.
Volvo Cars' Electrification Future
Volvo's first step in the production of electric vehicles was in 2009, when a small number of Volvo C30 BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) were built and tested internally by Volvo. Since then, Volvo have manufactured approximately 20 C30 Electrics but an have an overall plan to produce 250 cars for viability testing in major fleets in both Sweden and America.
At the start of 2011, a two-child family was selected to start living a 'One Tonne Life' in a newly built detached house just outside Stockholm. At the moment, the average household emits seven tones of CO2 just living, but experts believe that cutting this to one tonne is more sustainable in the long term. The project's partners have provided the family with a climate smart house, a battery-powered car, renewable electricity, electricity consumption measuring technology and expert advice. As part of the project, Volvo have supplied a C30 Electric to help the family reach their one tonne goal.
At the Geneva Motorshow in March 2011, Volvo unveiled a near production ready V60 Plug-in Hybrid, the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid. Boasting a range of 32 miles on pure electric power and carbon dioxide emissions of just 49g/km, it translates into a fuel consumption of 150 miles per gallon. The V60 is powered by an enhanced version of the D5 diesel engine, producing 215 horsepower, coupled with ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) powering the rear wheels with 70 horsepower electric motors.
Price have yet to be finalised but will be announced closer to the start of production, due in 2012.
