Mighty Mite: New Three-Cylinder Engine Has Big Role In Volvo's Future

How The Engine Felt During The Test Drive 

The three-cylinder is smaller and therefore more fuel-efficient than its predecessors. Many Americans, used to engines with six cylinders or more, might balk at its diminutive displacement. But adding a turbocharger and other deft engineering keeps it from feeling wimpy. 

Volvo did not provide fuel economy figures, but journalists were able to drive the three-cylinder V40 as hard and as fast as they pleased around the company’s hilly and serpentine test track.

 “The first prototype ran a durability test without any issues and that is normally not the case,” said Michael Fleiss, Volvo’s vice president of powertrains. “Normally, the first prototypes break down. This engine was running through. So we are very confident that this engine is good and has the right genes.” When driving the V40 on the test track, the only time that the three-cylinder engine’s smallness and modest output became apparent was on the front straightaway. Pinning the accelerator to the floor doesn’t exactly snap one’s head back. But at speeds used in everyday driving, the amount of power on tap and the immediacy with which it is delivered belies the engine’s size.

Whether heading uphill or being flung around tight turns, the little engine never seemed to run out of power. It was impressive, particularly with Volvo never having built a three-cylinder before. It felt more responsive and sounded better than many four-cylinders on the market.

Fleiss said he expects the three-cylinder engine to get even better before it comes to market. “You have to understand that this engine will be launched in a few years, and when you drive the car, it is already in a very good state,” he said. “So just imagine if you have two more years’ time to develop it.”

The first car to get the three-cylinder engine will be the next-generation Volvo V40, which Martens said is slated to arrive around 2017 and is expected to be sold in the United States. It will use an all-new architecture, known internally as “CMA” for “compact modular architecture.” 

The three-cylinder engine also will power the next-generation S60 and V60. These 60-series models, which are larger than the 40-series, will be built on another all-new platform called “SPA” for “scalable product architecture.” It was developed in record time too — 48 weeks — using robust computer simulations to ensure optimum performance before a single part was ever built.

The SPA platform will underpin all of Volvo’s medium and large vehicles, starting with the 2016 XC90.

Volvo developed the SPA platform on its own exclusively in Sweden and the CMA platform jointly with Geely in Sweden and in China.

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