Volvo announced as far back as September 2011 it would be implementing a strategy where its entire lineup would feature four-cylinder engines, with the engines to be based on a next-generation design and where additional performance would be drawn upon from turbocharging and vehicle electrification.
Since that time, Volvo has dropped hints about its new four-cylinder engines, which are branded the Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA), and today it’s been announced that production of the first units has finally commenced.
Both development and production of the engines is taking place in-house, with most of the work being handled at a new facility located in Skövde, Sweden. All VEA engine versions, including gasoline, diesel and hybrid designs, are built on the same line, which runs through a new wing at the facility and makes for very efficient production.
Volvo boasts the four-cylinder VEA engines offer performance comparable with current six-cylinder units, while also offering fuel consumption that’s lower than many four-cylinder engines from rival automakers. No specifics, including even engine sizes, have been announced yet.
The new engines will be introduced between 2013 and 2015. While buyers overseas will be able to buy Volvos with the new VEA engines later this year, it’s not clear yet if they will be offered to buyers in the U.S.
Stay tuned for an update.
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