A high-performance, two-liter, triple-turbocharged four-cylinder engine with no less than 450 horsepower was unleashed upon the motoring world this week, and believe it or not — it's a VOLVO!
The engine, known as the High Performance Drive E Powertrain Concept, features not one, not two, but three turbos to provide fuel-efficient horsepower. The company's newfound devotion to the four-cylinder engine is set to permeate its complete lineup of cars. In fact, starting with this current generation of vehicles, all of the company's venerable five-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines will be phased out and replaced with various iterations of the Drive E powerplant.
This latest development comes on the back of existing — and kind of bonkers — Drive E engines setups like the supercharged and turbocharged version already in production.
The triple-turbo system's goal is to provide V6 or V8 power and performance with a lightweight and more fuel-efficient powerplant. To get the responsiveness and torque-y characteristics of a big motor, Volvo is employing exhaust-powered turbochargers to force-feed additional oxygen into the engine. However, the Achilles' heel of any high-pressure turbo is the lag time between when you step on the gas and when turbos spool up to provide power.
To combat this problem in the triple-turbo engine, Volvo's engineers have installed a third, electrically powered turbocharger whose job is to maintain a constant stream of pressurized air to the two other turbos. With two turbos constantly at what's referred to as "boost," the Drive E engine can provide gobs of horsepower at a moment's notice.
The dreaded "turbo lag" isn't an issue.
"When we launched the Drive-E powertrain family, our aim was to deliver the most advanced 4-cylinder engines in the industry based on emissions and fuel consumption relative to performance and drivability," said Volvo's head of research and development Dr. Peter Mertens in a statement.
"We knew that 320 hp in our petrol configuration was just a starting point. The 450 hp High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept demonstrates this ambition and the versatility of the Drive-E Powertrains."
Business Insider had the opportunity to drive an S60 T6 with the 306 hp supercharged and turbocharged version of the Drive E engine, and it was amazing. The engine provides a broad and easily accessible torque band with no hint whatsoever of turbo lag.
In fact, had I not known the specification of the car, I would have guessed it was a six or even a small eight-cylinder unit.
Volvo is determined to move past its pleasantly understated yet unfortunately underpowered past. The triple-turbo is a clear step in that direction.
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