Volvo Adding Vital Upgrade To 2022 SUVs And Sedans

Aug. 01, 2021 6:00 PM ET by Jay Traugott Engine / 2 Comments

Another step towards full electrification.

Volvo has been making some bold moves lately, such as its goal of fully electrifying its entire lineup by 2030 and recently increasing its stake in Polestar. This year, the all-new and all-electric (and pricey) C40 Recharge will go on sale. Also happening for 2022 is a new 48-volt hybrid system that'll be available on some US models, specifically for the Volvo S60 and S90 sedans, and the XC60 and V90 Cross Country SUVs.

Per Car and Driver, EPA ratings for these vehicles indicate new B5 and B6 designations that show slightly improved fuel economy over the outgoing T5 and T6 non-hybrids.

2017-2022 Volvo V90 Cross Country Wagon Three Quarter Front Left

2017-2022 Volvo V90 Cross Country Wagon Off Road High Angle

2017-2022 Volvo V90 Cross Country Wagon Driver Area

The V90 Cross Country, for example, shows an improvement of 20 mpg to 22 mpg in the city. The S60 goes from 23 mpg to 26 mpg in the same setting. Now, it's important to re-emphasize that the B5 and B6 powertrains are not replacing the hybrids for any of these models. They're simply upgrades to the existing systems that have already been used in overseas markets.

What's more, the 2.0-liter inline-four found in those models remains. The B5 is a turbocharged version of that engine which is standard on the S60 and XC60. The B6 is both turbocharged and supercharged and is optional on the XC60.

It comes standard on the S90 and V90 Cross Country. Official specs for the improved powertrains have yet to be announced but their figures outside of the US are solid. The B5 and B6 have 247 horsepower and 295 hp, respectively. The outgoing T5 and T6 models have 250 hp and 316 lb-ft of torque. We expect Volvo will have an announcement revealing this info as well as pricing and any other trim updates very shortly.

However, it does not look as if the popular XC40 and flagship XC90 SUVs will benefit from the new system, at least for 2022.