It's Volvo itself that says: “the new Volvo S60 — to be launched later this spring — will be the first Volvo to be produced without a diesel engine, underscoring Volvo Cars' commitment to a long-term future beyond the traditional engine of combustion.”
The Swedish brand made a big impact last year after it was announced that all future Volvos would be electrified from 2019 . Many misinterpreted the message, claiming that all Volvos would be 100% electric, but in reality, the heat engine still has a long life in the brand, except that it will now be electrically assisted — that is, hybrids.
So, from 2019, all new Volvos launched will be available either as semi-hybrids, plug-in hybrids — always with a gasoline engine — or electric with batteries.
Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo CarsOur future is electric and we are not going to develop a new generation of diesel engines. Cars that only have an internal combustion engine will end up, with gasoline hybrids being a transitional option as we move towards full electrification. The new S60 represents the next step in that commitment.
Volvo's electric ambitions are high, with the brand aiming for half of its global sales to be 100% electric vehicles by 2025.
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The new Volvo S60
As for the new premium D-segment suitor, Volvo defines it as a “sports sedan” — a sports saloon — and it will have a lot in common with the newly introduced Volvo V60. In other words, it will also be based on the SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) — which also serves the 90 family and the XC60 — and will initially be launched with two Drive-E gasoline engines and two plug-in hybrid engines. The semi-hybrid (mild-hybrid) versions will arrive during 2019.
Production of the new model will begin in the fall, at Volvo's new plant in the USA, in Charleston, in the state of South Carolina. It will be the only factory of the brand to produce the new model.