VOLVO has upgraded its line-up with a range of new engine additions and enhancements for the 2011 model year.
The new engines include a 2.0-litre five cylinder diesel unit which is introduced to the XC60 and XC70 models and replaces the familiar four-cylinder 136PS powerplant in the C30, S40, V50, C70, V70 and S80.
In principle, the new five-cylinder 2.0D diesel is the same engine as the well-established 2.4-litre diesel, but its displacement has been reduced to help improve fuel consumption.
To simplify Volvo's engine badging, all new powerplants, including the 2.0D, will be named according to the power output.
So the 150PS version of the new 2.0D in the C30, S40, V50 and C70 is named D3 and an uprated 177PS version of this same engine is labelled D4.
In the Volvo S80, V70, XC70 and XC60 the newly developed 2.0-litre diesel engine produces 163PS and is badged the D3.
This pecking order has been adopted to allow customers more easily understand which engine is the most powerful and which fuel it is driven by – D for diesel and historically T has been used for Volvo's petrol cars.
The Swedish company’s naming strategy also follows the principle that the higher the number the more powerful it is - a D5 engine has more power that a D3.
Another facet of the Volvo 2011 update is a change in the specification hierarchy with the introduction of the ES trim level which replaces the S grade.