Volvo next-gen fours go into production, expect more power than a six, better mpg too

By Nick Jaynes Published May 13, 2013

Volvo VEA assembly — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Volvo is finally free. Well, sort of.

For many years, Volvo was tied to Ford, beholden to Ford’s chairpersons, bureaucracy and designers, and Ford loved to steal from the Volvo parts bin. Since being sold by Ford in 2010 to Geely, a Chinese firm, Volvo has been allowed to do its own thing, taking full control over its products.

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One of the first undertakings Volvo pursued was the new Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA), which has been under development – not coincidentally – for around two years. These new four-cylinder engines have been developed solely in-house by Volvo, which has allowed Volvo greater flexibility in design and production and a greater influence on quality.

The VEA engines have been designed with two elements at the core, “driving pleasure and fuel efficiency,” says Derek Crabb, Vice President Powertrain Engineering at Volvo Cars.

Consisting of both gasoline and diesel engines, the VEA powerplants produce more power than previous Volvo six-cylinder engines and achieve better fuel economy than previous Volvo four-cylinder engines.

We’ve always been a fan of Volvo’s understated dedication to furthering technology in terms of both safety and drivetrain power and efficiency. We’re eager to drive the next-gen Volvos that will receive the VEAs. As soon as we know what those will be, we’ll update you.

Read the DT review of the 2013 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design Turbo

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…

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