Volvo Cars has confirmed that its new S60 sedan will not be offered with a diesel engine, with the Swedish automaker expected to soon announce that it will never again launch a new vehicle with an oil-burning engine.
The move away from diesel in the upcoming S60 highlights the brand’s “commitment to a long-term future beyond the traditional combustion engine”, Volvo said in a statement.
The automaker had earlier announced that all new models launched from 2019 would be available as either a mild-hybrid petrol, a plug-in petrol hybrid or a battery electric vehicle.
“Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars.
“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.”
The new S60 will be initially available with a range of four-cylinder petrol engines as well as with two petrol plug-in hybrid versions. Mild-hybrid versions are expected to follow in 2019.
According to Auto Express, Volvo will soon formally announce its complete move away from diesel, with Samuelsson telling the Financial Times that “we’re not saying diesel is more dirty, but it’s more complicated and more expensive”…
