Volvo has unveiled its first ever three-cylinder engine, which will be offered in the compact XC40 crossover. The new 1.5L three-cylinder engine direct-injected gas engine was developed in-house and uses the same modular design as its four-cylinder Drive-E engines.
The three-cylinder engine will be badged as the T3. Initially it will only be offered with a six-speed manual transmission, while an eight-speed automatic will arrive next year.
“Our new three-cylinder engine is an exciting development for the XC40 and for Volvo Cars in general,” said Alexander Petrofski, Senior Director Cluster 40 at Volvo Cars. “This compact engine design provides the flexibility we need as we introduce more powertrain options for XC40 customers.”
The three-cylinder has been designed to also work with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which will be added to the XC40 lineup later. A fully electric XC40 is in the works as well.
UK prices for the XC40 T3 start at £27,905 on the road, with Inscription versions available from £30,405.
Source: Volvo
