Five-Point Inspection: 2015 Volvo XC60 T6 Drive-E FWD

Volvo is in the midst of a vehicular revolution. Forget the minor styling tweaks to the XC60 and S60 last year, this year the real action begins. The older-than-dirt XC90 will be redesigned in 2014, but the big news is that Volvo has decided to start the small project of overhauling the brand’s entire engine lineup with a new family of power plants called Drive-E.

Initially, two gasoline Drive-E engines will be offered here, a pair of 2.0-liter four cylinders. T5 models will come equipped with a turbocharger while T6 models will come with a turbocharger and supercharger. For now, these engines are only available with front wheel drive (FWD) and an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission.

The goal is to eventually have the entire lineup of Volvo vehicles powered by Drive-E engines. Until then, Volvo will continue to offer all-wheel drive (AWD) variants of the XC60 with the old six-cylinder engines alongside the new Drive-E FWD units.

Having to see what all the fuss is about, we were able to sample the 2015 Volvo XC60 T6 FWD recently in Las Vegas. Here are the five things you need to know about the 2015 XC60 and its Drive-E engines.

The new Drive-E engines work on a few basic principles. Friction has been reduced in key areas like the ball bearings and camshaft to boost efficiency. A variable electric water pumps has been fitted to all Drive-E engines as has start/stop technology and regenerative braking.

As mentioned, T5 equipped engines are outfitted with a turbocharger while T6 engines are fitted with a supercharger and a turbocharger. The supercharger in the T6 is designed to boost low-end torque and make the 2.0 liter feel like a larger six-cylinder. Once the engine speed reaches 3,500 rpm, the supercharger disengages and the turbocharger takes over.

The reason Volvo’s turbocharged engine is called T5 is that with 240 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, it produces roughly the same amount of power as Volvo’s five-cylinder turbo. Likewise, the twin-charged 2.0-liter T6 is destined to replace the turbocharged six-cylinder with an official rating of 302 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Having only gotten to drive the XC60 T6 FWD briefly, our initial impressions are that the transition from supercharger to turbocharger on the T6 is seamless. Aside from the distinctly different sounds coming from the two chargers, power delivery is linear from idle to roughly 5,000 rpm where the turbo boost really kicks in.

It is childish fun hearing a supercharger whine at lower rpms followed by the whoosh of a turbo spooling. We found ourselves constantly playing with the accelerator to produce a symphony of chargers. With right-now boost all the time, the XC60 T6 is never lacking for power. It can roast the front tires from a standstill and still pull hard at highway speeds.

The main reason for the new family of engines is improved fuel economy. The XC60 T5 Drive-E FWD is official rated at 24 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. That is a huge improvement over the 2014 XC60 3.2-liter FWD with ratings of 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.

The 2015 XC60 T6 Drive-E FWD is only slightly thirstier than the T5 with official ratings of 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. Compared to the current T6 AWD XC60, that is an improvement of 5 mpg city and 6 mpg highway.

During our short city based drive with the vehicle, we were a bit heavy on the gas and returned just 23.2 mpg.

Part of the new found efficiency can also be attributed to a new eight-speed automatic. Paired to either of the Drive-E engines, the new eight-speed is generally smooth and seamless in operation. We did, however, find that the transmission is too eager to downshift when only moderate amounts of acceleration are requested. A bit too much throttle and there is a brief hesitation followed by a downshift or two. Usually we complain about a transmission that will not downshift enough, but this eight-speed suffers the opposite problem. On the plus side, the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters feel great and work very well for a conventional automatic.

Pricing for the 2015 XC60 T5 Drive-E FWD will begin at $35,750 which is a $900 increase over the current XC60 3.2 FWD. For that price you do get a far more efficient and sophisticated powertrain.

Pricing of the 2015 XC60 T6 Drive-E FWD will start at $40,050 which is actually $1,500 less than the 2014 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD. This is quite a bargain for those not needing all-wheel drive as the new engine will continue to save money with improved efficiency over the long haul.

Expect to see Drive-E engines filtering into Volvos soon.

Interested in buying a Volvo? Check out our new car shopping section here, click here for 2015 Volvo XC60 specs.

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