The current generation of the Volvo S60 sedan is in its final model year, slated to be replaced in showrooms by a new 2019 model by the time we sing Auld Lang Syne. In some markets, its powertrain options include a variety of turbodiesel engines, which include a 1.6-liter four-cylinder, and two inline fives, in 2.0 and 2.4-liter displacement. The next-gen S60 will feature none of these, as Volvo announced Wednesday in a press release that the S60 would abandon diesel power entirely in its 2019 model year.
Volvo states that the new S60 will be the first of its modern passenger vehicles not to offer a diesel engine. This change will be made as part of Volvo’s gradual migration toward electrified power, with every vehicle launching in 2019 and beyond utilizing electric propulsion in one way or another, be it a mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or a fully electric vehicle.
The new S60 itself will be available with gasoline and plug-in hybrid powertrain options at launch, with middle ground mild hybrids following for the 2020 model year.
“Our future is electric, and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines,” stated Volvo Cars President and CEO Håkan Samuelsson. “We will phase out cars with only an internal combustion engine, with petrol hybrid versions as a transitional option as we move towards full electrification. The new S60 represents the next step in that commitment.”
Volvo spoke earlier this year of a desire to replace half its sales with electric vehicles by 2025, and has allegedly ceased development of internal combustion engines. Its Polestar performance brand is already electrified, with the $155,000 Polestar 1 hybrid serving as Volvo Cars’ halo car. We may be able to expect Volvo’s further technological showcases to enter the market through the Polestar door, so Polestar may be the brand to watch for gauging Volvo’s success with electrification.
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