(800) 467-9769

Login My account icon  

Please, add your first item to the wishlist

My account icon  

Please, add your first item to the wishlist

Back to the Roots With Volvo Four-Cylinder Engines

Back to the Roots With Volvo Four-Cylinder Engines

Volvo has been experiencing a massive change in recent years. The brand has metamorphosed from a Swedish traditionalist to a Chinese futurist or is still in the middle of that process. It depends on whom you’re asking. That being said, Volvo four-cylinder engines have seen a return, offering a brief throwback to classic turbo bricks before the company moves towards electric vehicles. Frankly, it was about time.

The Old Production

If you ask your average driver what Volvo is known for, chances are they’ll say it’s safety. They would be correct, too. We owe Volvo a debt of gratitude when it comes to safety features. After all, that 3-point seatbelt you put on every day – that’s Volvo’s doing. They were kind enough to not cash in on the licensing deal for this feature, as well as many others they’ve invented over time.

That all being said, safety is not the only bright spot on Volvo’s jacket. If you ask a slightly different, more deranged, and less efficiency-obsessed driver what Volvo is known for, you might get a different answer.

The Turbobricker Society

Fans of older Volvos fondly remember the days of turbocharged four-bangers this brand produced. The notorious ‘Redblock‘ B series engine was the bee’s knees for a long, long time. No pun intended. As a matter of fact, this engine is still used in all kinds of swaps, if you can find one that’s remained relatively unmolested.

The B series engines are just the tip of the iceberg, both in the US domestic markets and the EDM side of the family. Volvo’s ability to drain copious amounts of torque and power from tiny four-cylinder engines was notorious.

If you wanted a safe car, you’d get a Volvo. But, back in those days, if you wanted power, you’d meet your Volvo rep behind the lot late at night and take the keys of a boosted Volvo 242. Such a dichotomy of character had earned Volvo a cult following.

Genuine Volvo
$109.19

Efficiency Nonsense

And then came emissions. Right around the end of the ’80s and well into the early ’90s, the world suddenly jolted from its gas-guzzling dream. The new reality was grim and polluted. For many, including Volvo, the solution was simple – make more efficient cars.

Parallel to this development, we’ve seen a paradigm shift. Car brands, like led by some invisible hand, started leaning towards a uniform design style. Such a trend culminated in a stock of vehicles that all looked the same. Unique brand styling was all but gone.

Volvo went through all of these steps, only to find itself selling fewer cars than ever. Right around 2010, they’ve reached the edge of the cliff. Volvo had two choices – either disappear from the global automotive stage or change something.

Shifting the Paradigm

Despite no longer being Swedish, Volvo has retained its ability to anticipate future trends and react when necessary. They’ve realized where their current company policy is taking them, which was a wake-up call for the brass.

There was a massive difference, though. Right around the mid-2010s when Volvo finally realized that something had to change, they were already under the new Geely management. Despite the initial controversy of the Geely acquisition, the Chinese brought Volvo the greatest gift of them all – money.

Stacked with resources, the leadership at Volvo made a decision to go back to the roots. The idea was to reconnect with their clients in a primal way only Volvo was capable of.

The brand was to reroute efforts towards becoming a luxury brand, all while ditching the various engines for the good old boosted four-cylinder powerhouses. The performance and efficiency of modern turbo engines have proven to be enough for the entire chassis range Volvo offers.

New Four Bangers

Deciding to go back to four-cylinder, high horsepower engines were the right move. These modern engines have proven to be more than enough to power four-wheel-drive vehicles as well as the standard sedans.

If you’re wondering just how good these engines are, we can take the 2016 XC60 as a good example. One of the options in this SUV is a 2-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged and supercharged engine that delivers 302 horsepower to the wheels.

That’s over 150hp per liter of displacement. However, it’s the most powerful version of the flagship XC90 that is the true harbinger of things to come. Namely, Volvo has paired the 2-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, thus delivering a staggering 400 horsepower to the wheels.

volvo four-cylinder

Together in Electric Dreams

Neither Philip Oakey nor Giorgio Moroder could have anticipated what the future brings, especially for Volvo. The new Chinese overlords have brought a clear message – Volvo is going all-electric as soon as it’s feasible.

This latest assortment of ICE engines is considered by many to be Volvo’s latest tribute to its old glory, one last hurrah before internal combustion engines are pushed into the history books and museums.

That being said, any fan of Volvo, even the most conservative bunch of Turbobrickers, will appreciate the new engines. The power, delivery of said power, and the way these cars drive has a very traditional note to it. One that many vintage Volvo owners might pick out from the noise of modern electronics you’re surrounded with when you drive these machines.

Quality Volvo Parts

If you’re looking for quality parts for your Volvo, you’re in the right place. Here at eEuroparts.com, we take pride in offering the largest catalog of genuine, OEM, and aftermarket parts for Volvo and other European brands.

To find the parts you’re looking for, simply head over to our online store, select your vehicle in our navigation tool, and you’ll be presented with a list of products that match. Alternatively, you can also use our VIN tool to get even more accurate results.

In case you’ve got any questions regarding our offer, feel free to contact our customer support service. Our reps are every bit as petrolheads as you and are standing by to offer assistance with anything you need.

BLOG HOME
LEAVE A REPLY

One thought on “Back to the Roots With Volvo Four-Cylinder Engines

  1. Too bad Volvo can’t use MG’s old slogan “Safety Fast”, copyrighted? I enjoyed the “Naughty Volvo” ads for the S60, humerous and different for Volvo.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

SEARCH OUR BLOG

BLOG CATEGORIES

Working on cars is dangerous, always be careful and be aware of the hazards of working on any vehicle. eEuroparts.com (Newparts Inc) is not responsible for any injury, up to and including death, as a result of working on any vehicle suggested or implied on this website.