Volvo unveils start-stop technology and a six speed automatic gearbox for the new D3 Diesel engine!

Volvo S60 Sedan

All Volvo cars in India are imported straight from Sweden as Completely Built Units. Therefore, there is a very high probability of technology or styling changes in the Volvo cars happening globally, making it to Indian shores soon after. Volvo has just unveiled the fuel saving-emission cutting start-stop technology for its 2 liter D3 Diesel engine. The 2 liter D3 engine is essentially a downsized unit of the twin turbo 2.4 liter D5 diesel engine.

What the D3 engine’s downsizing does is, it reduces peak power by 40 Bhp to 162 Bhp and peak torque by a marginal 20 Nm to 400 Nm. So, this makes the D3 engined Volvo cars more fuel efficient for starters. Also, a small price cut may be effected due to the smaller engine. So, Volvo India offering this engine on the Volvo S60 and S80 Sedans as a hypermiler variant to take on the likes of the BMW 520D and the Mercedes Benz E250CDI is a distinct possibility. Volvo claims a mileage of close to 19 KMPL for the S60 Sedan and !8 something KMPL for the S80 Sedan equipped with the D3 engine.

Volvo S60 Sedan

Coming to the Start-Stop system, which might not be an intelligent option for the tropical Indian weather conditions, the system is designed to work seamlessly, kicking into action as soon as the car comes to a stop. In Volvo’s start-stop system, the brake pressure is a trigger for the system to turn off the engine. As soon as the accelerator pedal is pressed, the system will restart the engine to ensure that the whole system works seamlessly and unobtrusively.

On whether the start-stop system will also make it to India is something that still remains to be seen. Coming to the six speed automatic gearbox that is tweaked specifically for the start-stop system, an electric pump will pump oil to the transmission even when the engine is stopped to keep the transmission lubricated at all timed during the motion of the car. Also, the starters of the Volvo cars equipped with the stop-start system will be more robust units designed to cope with the high number of starting cycles.