New Volvo S60 sedan ditches diesel

The new Volvo S60 sedan coming soon will be the first Volvo without a diesel engine.

All new Volvo models launched from 2019 will be available as either a mild petrol hybrid, plug-in petrol hybrid or battery electric vehicle.

“Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines,” Volvo Cars chief executive and president Hakan Samuelsson says.

Hakan Samuelsson.

“We will phase out cars with only an internal combustion engine, with petrol hybrid versions as a transitional option as we move towards full electrification. The new S60 represents the next step in that commitment.”

Last month, Volvo Cars reinforced its electrification strategy, by stating at the 2018 Auto China show in Beijing that it aims for fully electric cars to make up half its global sales by 2025.

Production of the new S60 will start this year at Volvo Cars’ new manufacturing facility outside Charleston, South Carolina.

This plant will be the only manufacturing location for the new S60, meaning American-built S60s will be sold in the US market as well as overseas through exports.