Volvo has started production of an all-new four-cylinder engine family. The development and production will take place in-house at Volvo Car Group's engine plant in Skovde, and will, according to the carmaker, form a vital part of the company’s strategy for independence.

Volvo’s objective in having complete control over the development and production of engines and drivelines is to increase flexibility and have a greater ability to influence quality.

"This marks a milestone in Volvo's history. With our new engine family we are focusing on two additional vital properties - driving pleasure and fuel efficiency," says Derek Crabb, vice president, powertrain engineering, Volvo.

The new Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA) engines are developed by a Swedish team of engineers. Volvo claims that the new, smaller engines are optimised to deliver higher performance than the current six-cylinder units, while offering lower fuel consumption than the current four-cylinder units. The new engines will be introduced between 2013 and 2015, while the first cars to be fitted with it will be the S60, XC60, S80, V60 and the V70.

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