Volvo is working on a new three-cylinder engine to add to its engine lineup in global markets. The engine is part of Volvo’s Drive-E family, and reaffirms the Swedish carmaker’s intentions and commitment to downsizing. As of now, testing of the 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine has begun, and it is expected to debut in Volvo cars in 2017.

This development work is being done as part of Volvo’s effort to reduce emissions considerably, without hybridisation, in all their cars, by 2020. The new engine is being built to be used in Volvos based on the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), and also the S60 and V60 cars which are based on the Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA). It can function with both manual and automatic transmissions, and also be mated with four-wheel-drive and hybrid systems. The three-pot can be tuned to varying power outputs up to 180bhp.

The new three-cylinder engine is being developed alongside the 2.0-litre four-cylinder Drive-E engine, and this allows Volvo to exploit the flexible production potential as demand rises. The Drive-E range, in the global markets, currently consists of one diesel four-cylinder and two petrol four-cylinder units.