Volvo's DRIVe to greener motoring

Aug 3 2009 Mike Torpey

SWEDISH manufacturer Volvo is riding the crest of a wave - even though the tide of recession shows little sign of turning for the better.

The company's market share has held up encouragingly, scrappage deals are almost five times the predicted figure at 2,200 orders so far and a birthday that defines the marque's ethos is just days away.

Then there's the eco assault, spearheaded by the new DRIVe range with dramatically reduced CO2 levels and improved fuel efficiency in seven models.

Most of the major car makers have their 'green' ranges these days and Volvo has solid reason to be proud of theirs.

When the reputation of your brand is built as firmly as Volvo's is on safety - and August 13 marks the 50th anniversary of the V-type three-point safety belt invented by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin - you are inevitably going to have heavier cars due to the various systems in place.

But the Swedes have completed a top notch job in its DRIVe line-up, which is already hitting the mark with - in the case of the three smaller models at least - 65 per cent of their total sale.

They have been able to force the emissions way down without having to compromise style, safety or driving, and still retain the option of a sporty R-Design package.

The models with the really low numbers are the C30 Sports Coupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon, all of which boast an emissions figure of 119g/km.

So as well as minimising their owners' carbon footprint they also cost just £35 a year to tax, while company car drivers enjoy a 13 per cent cut in Benefit in Kind tax too.

The trio share the same 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine producing 109PS of punch and all three provide sensational fuel consumption, according to the official figures at least.

And by paying an extra £250 you can specify Start/Stop technology that brings CO2 down to a mere 104g/km and the fuel potential to an amazing 72.4 miles per gallon.

First though, the eco bit. All models with the DRIVe badge have a lowered chassis - which helps reduce fuel consumption - front airflow deflectors and a lower lip spoiler, while low rolling resistance tyres have also been adopted.

Improvements have also been made to the engine and gearbox management software, there's now electrohydraulic steering and a Gear Shift Indicator tells the driver the best point to change up or down.

The combined effect is substantial. I took all three models on a series of routes that underlined what enjoyable and positive cars these are to drive.

The reality though was that the average fuel return was nowhere near what the official figures suggest.

With the air-con and sound system off, windows closed and two people in the car I managed an average 49.7mpg over an 82-mile route in a £17,745 C30 DRIVe SE model with stop/start that claims 72.4mpg.

The S40 SE with stop/start (£19,345) returned an average 47.7 and the V50 SE (£20,595) slightly less at 46.9mpg. Volvo aren't alone in this, but it does highlight the discrepancy between official and real world figures.

Also in the DRIVe line-up are the XC60 crossover and XC70 estate for which the arrival of front-wheel drive and a new 2.4D engine sees CO2 emissions down to 159g/km and fuel economy up to 47.1mpg.

In fact the XC60, with prices from £25,245, is the first premium SUV to fall below the 160g/km threshold.

Completing the DRIVe party in early autumn will be the large V70 estate and luxury S80 models, also using a 1.6-litre diesel powerplant but with specially tailored engine software and different gear ratios.

Volvo says that despite their size, neither of these cars will feel in the least bit underpowered. Prices will be £21,745 for the S80 DRIVe SE and £22,745 for the same spec V70.