Diesel downsizing

So, Volvo has introduced a cheaper version of what was already quite a well priced luxury SUV with a smaller diesel engine. The engine might displace a tad under two litres in capacity, but it is still, in typical Volvo fashion, a 5-cylinder engine. It makes 163bhp, about 50bhp down on the 2.4-litre diesel the XC60 already comes with, but on the road, the difference isn’t as dramatic. For the first few kilometres, we just couldn’t tell the XC60 was down on power at all.

The pickup at slower speeds and the throttle responses really are nearly as sharp as the XC with the larger engine. We were also quite surprised how quickly the 2-litre engine propelled the Volvo to 100kmph. For those interested in figures, it takes 10.6 seconds, which is less than 2s slower than the 215bhp D5 powered XC60.

This surprising performance is down to the healthy 400Nm of torque the smaller capacity engine manages to churn out, which incidentally is only 20Nm less than the D5's peak torque. And when you consider that the latter actually uses twin turbos against the single one on the D3, what the D3 achieves is even more commendable. The D3 uses the same six-speed automatic gearbox as the D5 and as on the latter, it's quite good to use both in fully automatic as well as in manual override modes. The shifts are seamless most of the time and when in a hurry, manual downshifts work without hesitations too. The final drive on the D3 though is shorter which is also one of the reasons, it feels peppy. And it shows in the roll on times too. The 30-80kmph run for instance, something one would do most often in the city, takes the same time on the D3 and D5. Even at higher speeds, the difference in about a second.

The XC60 is now cheaper but remains a good drive. So, where’s the catch then? At the top end of the performance spectrum. In the city, you won’t feel the difference but, on the highway, the engine’s comparative lack of top end grunt against the D5 can be felt. The difference isn’t huge though, making the D3 a serious consideration.

The XC60 is now cheaper but remains a good drive. So, where’s the catch then? At the top end of the performance spectrum. In the city, you won’t feel the difference but, on the highway, the engine’s comparative lack of top end grunt against the D5 can be felt. The difference isn’t huge though, making the D3 a serious consideration.