Volvo's new US-built S60 won't get a diesel
The sedan will only be built in South Carolina, so that means no more diesel S60 models anywhere.
Volvo's new plant in Charleston, South Carolina, isn't quite up and humming yet, but the company's next-generation S60 sedan, which is scheduled to be built there, will go without a diesel engine option.
In 2017, Volvo confirmed plans to electrify all new models from 2019 onward, with powertrains set to include hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric versions. However, the company had not disclosed what would happen to its diesel offerings.
While diesel engines have not been a factor in Volvo's lineup in the US for years, they've formed an important part of the company's business in other parts of the globe, including Europe. As Volvo's new Southern US plant will be the S60's sole production facility, that means the automaker will no longer offer a diesel engine in the model globally. "Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines," said Volvo president and CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, in a release.
It should come as no surprise that a European automaker is moving away from diesel in the wake of various emissions scandals involving the fuel (chiefly Volkswagen's Dieselgate). That's especially true because Volvo has been owned by Chinese multinational Geely since 2010, and in recent years, China's government has become the leading proponent of electric cars through aggressive legislation. Even so, Volvo's April announcement that it expects half of its global sales to be battery electric vehicles by 2025 is still being viewed by many industry analysts as an ambitious target.
Volvo's current S60 has been on sale since 2010, making it one of today's longest-serving models in the industry. The brand's all-new, third-generation model is expected to debut this summer, riding atop Volvo's Scalable Product Architecture platform. The latter forms the basis of many of the company's new models, including its larger S90 and XC60 crossover SUV.
A V60 wagon sibling to the S60 has already been revealed (and is shown above). It is expected to look very similar to the forthcoming S60 sedan. Despite not being built in the US, the long-roof V60 is also earmarked to join Volvo's North American lineup.