Volvo has updated most of their vehicles for 2014 and 2015 model years, and the 2015 Volvo XC60 Drive-E is no exception. This mid-size crossover gets smoother exterior and a few interior updates, but the big news is under the hood. You might think that the “Drive-E” somehow refers to “Electricity” or a hybrid drivetrain. Nope. In latest Volvo speak, Drive-E stands for a powerful and also efficient super-turbo gasoline engine.
What is super-turbo? In this case, it’s a 2.0-liter four cylinder engine with both: a supercharger and a turbocharger bolted to it. In this higher end Platinum edition XC60, this little motor produces 302 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The supercharger takes care of low-end power for off the line jumps, while the turbo comes in after about 3,000 rpm to provide high-end propulsion. It’s backed up by an 8-speed automatic and can deliver 22 MPG city / 30 MPG highway / 25 MPG combined.
This Platinum model will start at $40,050. We do not yet have an on-sale date for this cool machine.
Watch Nathan Adlen experience the new XC60 Drive-E Platinum in this fun and informative TFLcar first drive review: