[Original test drive] After leaving the group, although the global performance has improved and the development is booming, the power system has also become a big problem for this brand. Ford’s 2.0-liter in-line 4-cylinder can’t meet Volvo’s demand, so it has to move out of the in-line 5-cylinder engine at the bottom of the closet to save the scene. In terms of gearbox, PowerShift and Aisin’s 6-speed are also used as a transition. Finally, this year, the new DRIVE-E powertrain technology, which cost $11 billion, has achieved results, and Volvo has finally survived the stage of green and yellow.
Starting from this year, Volvo will update its engines and gearboxes around the world, and the latest DRIVE-E series powertrain will also enter the domestic market. The first model equipped with new engine and gearbox is XC60, which is the main sales model, and then other models will also replace the power system one after another. We test-drive the XC60 T5 with a brand-new 2.0-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission at the first time. Because the steering and steering have not changed, we will focus on the improvement brought by the new power system. (Please see here for the detailed introduction of the new model:New 2.0T Engine +8AT Real Shot New Volvo XC60)
According to Volvo’s introduction, the future DRIVE-E series engines will all use in-line 4-cylinder layout, and obtain more power through a series of technologies such as supercharging, which can completely replace the traditional 6-cylinder engine in power output, and can also be connected with motors in the future to form a system, and the comprehensive output will reach the level of the traditional 8-cylinder engine. At present, a diesel engine and two gasoline engines have been released, of which the power is 245 horsepower and 306 horsepower respectively. Based on the current inline 4-cylinder block, there will be 8 different models to choose from in the future.
The new XC60 T5 model uses a 245 HP gasoline engine with an output of 350 Nm. Relatively speaking, XC60 is lucky, because it has always retained the 4-cylinder engine left by Ford, which is also an advanced engine. Compared with the past, the new T5 model has slightly improved power and optimized torque output, which can provide a maximum torque of 350 Nm from 1500 rpm. According to the official data, the 0-100 km/h acceleration of XC60 T5 model is shortened by 0.9 seconds to 7.2 seconds with the DRIVE-E engine.
If we only look at the parameters of the engine, the power improvement of the new engine is not enough to cause such a big gap in acceleration. Here, the new 8-speed automatic gearbox plays a greater role. The gearbox of the new model is provided by Aisin, which is Aisin’s first 8-speed automatic gearbox based on horizontal platform. The transmission ratio range of the new gearbox is increased by 23% compared with the previous 6-speed gearbox, so it can be expected that the shift of the new model will be smoother, the fuel consumption will be reduced, and the acceleration will also be improved.
During the test drive, we can feel that the response of the new engine is very positive, especially when the throttle opening is large and the engine is accelerating rapidly, and the engine has abundant power in the middle and high speed range. In daily driving, the performance of the whole power system is relatively calm, without too much emphasis on power output, but in a relatively low-key state, presumably engineers are more concerned about fuel consumption. When driving at a constant speed, the gearbox will control the speed at 1500 rpm, which is just the range of maximum torque output. The throttle response of the new model is very good, so basically you can get a good response immediately when you step on the throttle.
The smoothness of the 8-speed gearbox has made a qualitative leap compared with the previous 6-speed gearbox. If you don’t pay attention to the state of the gearbox with extremely demanding standard time, then you won’t feel it shifting gears. When accelerating rapidly, the gearbox responds directly, and immediately downshifts without hesitation. I think the performance of the powertrain of the new XC60 can be comparable to that of the 328i, and the combination of BMW’s 2.0T engine and 8AT gearbox can be said to be the leading level in this field at present. In other words, Volvo’s new powertrain can be regarded as a benchmark.
The performance of fuel economy can’t be understood in the test drive, but from the power performance and the running state of the engine during normal driving, there should be obvious differences in fuel consumption between the new powertrain and the old model. In addition, the ECO+ driving mode is added to the new model. In this mode, the gearbox will shift up ahead of schedule, and the response of the throttle will slow down. It is said that the working state of the air conditioning system will also change, thus achieving the best energy-saving efficiency. The strangest thing is that in this mode, the automatic engine start-stop function will turn off the engine before the vehicle stops completely. When the driver steps on the brake and the vehicle slows down to about 5km/h, the engine stops working. At this time, the vehicle coastes by inertia, and the engine will ignite again when the brake is released. In normal mode, the engine automatically starts and stops after the vehicle is completely stationary.
DRIVE-E is the largest strategic project of Volvo since it was incorporated into the group, and its result will determine the future development direction of Volvo. At present, the newly planned powertrain has reached the industry-leading level in technology, allowing Volvo to finally make up for the shortcomings of the powertrain, and Volvo’s models finally have the capital to compete with competitors in an all-round way. Compared with XC60, I look forward to the performance of S60, V60, V40 and other models equipped with new powertrains, because at present, these models still rely on the 5-cylinder engine more than 20 years ago as the power source in the domestic market, and their competitiveness will be greatly improved after replacing the new engine. In addition, I believe most people are curious about the performance of the 306 horsepower plus engine. This engine will be equipped on the two-wheel drive T6 model in the future, and the T6 AWD will still use the inline 6-cylinder engine for the time being.
In addition to the intuitive advantages of power and fuel consumption, DRIVE-E series engines have smaller volume and lighter weight, so they can also bring some additional benefits. For example, all Volvo models adopt the mode, and the engine is transverse, which makes it difficult for all Volvo models to achieve perfect front and rear weight distribution. The new engine reduces the weight and improves the top-heavy situation of the vehicle to some extent. In the conversation with Volvo engineers, I also learned that the DRIVE-E powertrain with the new SPA modular platform architecture can bring more advantages. Because the engine becomes smaller and the 4-cylinder engine replaces the 6-cylinder engine, the engine occupies less engine compartment space, so the layout of steering mechanism and front suspension can be more flexible. It is said that the new model based on SPA platform can achieve shorter front suspension, and the next generation model may adopt more advanced double A-arm suspension to replace the current McPherson structure. In short, thanks to the new engine, the driving performance of the next generation Volvo models will be improved.
Let’s talk about the XC60 sold in China. After replacing the powertrain, the price of the vehicle increased by 9,000 yuan, the power increased by 5 horsepower and 30 Nm, and the gearbox had two available gears, in exchange for better driving experience and fuel efficiency. The money was still well spent. (Text/Figure car home Wang Kugong)
