60 mpg Volvo Diesels to Debut at Paris Motor Show

Unique, clever and straight-forward engineering has resulted in three Volvo models ready for the road.

These fuel-sipping marvels feature a 1.6 litre diesel engine along with aerodynamicly reduced air resistance, new Michelin tires that lower rolling resistance, and the new European cyclGearbox with altered ratios for third, fourth and fifth gears.  Volvo says the new gearbox configuration alone results in a 1.5% reduction in fuel consumption without affecting the driveability of the car.

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An upgraded driveline features optimised engine cooling, engine management and power steering.  Volvo is using a new transmission oil which creates lower fiction in the gearbox, and the driver will have a gearchange indicator to tell him the ideal time to change gears.

Volvo claims drivers can expect to experience better fuel economy and lower emissions.  The C30 model comes in, according to the manufacturer at 53.5 mpg (US gallons) and 51.6 mpg (US gallons) for the S40 and V50.

Production of the cars will begin in mid-November, with delivery to the first UK customer expected in January of 2009.  Volvo says it expects to sell over 20,000 of the cars in Europe next year.  There are no plans for bringing them to the United States.

If you read Nick Chambers’ post “New Fiesta Gets 73 MPG, But Ford Says It’s Not For The U.S.“, you may get an idea why Volvo might not want to bring the cars to America.  It may be, as Ford says, Americans still think of diesel engines as the clattering, smokey monsters of the 80’s, many of which are still clanging around on the nation’s roads.

In it’s release, Volvo didn’t even mention the U.S. market, so it appears those cars will never reach these shores.

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Image:  http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/jalopnik/2008/09/Volvo-DRIVe-Range.jpg

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