Almost every Volvo model will get more fuel-efficient for the 2022 model year. The Swedish automaker will add a 48-volt mild hybrid system to its 2022 S60, S90, V90 XC, and XC60 models. The system should boost fuel economy, Volvo says, by about 15% on each of those vehicles.
A Short-Term Step in a Long-Term Overhaul
Volvo is in the midst of a radical makeover. The company has pledged to go all-electric by 2030 and recently announced the end of some versions of its well-known V60 and V90 wagons for the U.S. market. It will also step up its digital retailing efforts by offering electric vehicles exclusively online, starting with its new C40 Recharge SUV. Buyers still will go through dealers to finalize the sale, arrange delivery, and schedule service.
But Volvo’s all-electric lineup is still nearly a decade away. Strict new European fuel economy and emissions regulations are expected this summer. Since Volvo sells largely the same cars in the U.S. and Europe, the changes it makes due to European law will appear on American Volvos as well. Volvo will improve the fuel economy of its existing fleet of gasoline-powered cars with the new mild hybrid system.
EPA Has Begun Testing
The EPA has already tested the first of the cars, which showed the expected 15% efficiency boost. The front-drive 2021 Volvo S60 returns 23 miles per gallon in the city, 34 on the highway, and 27 combined. The new 2022 Volvo S60 B5 does better in every measure, with 26 city/35 highway, and 30 combined.
Volvo hasn’t released power figures for the U.S. version of the car. In its European form, it sees a tiny drop in power in exchange for the mileage bump, from 250 horsepower to 247.
The hybrid upgrade should allow Volvo to get a few more years of sales out of its existing designs, but the company seems committed to replacing every model with an EV in time to meet its 2030 target date.
