Has someone ever tried to convince you that it's more practical to drive a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission? The claim is often that a manual transmission will consume less fuel, leading to more miles per gallon travelled, and for the most part it's true. That, however, doesn't mean that it's a convention that all automaker must abide by. After all, Volvo isn't just any automaker.

We here at Freedom Volvo are referring to the fact that Volvo models equipped with an automatic gearbox are now on par with many similarly equipped vehicles that feature standard transmissions. "For the first time ever, we have managed to bring the fuel consumption in variants with automatic gearbox down to the same level as in the manual variations," says Peter Mertens, Senior VP R&D, Volvo Car Corporation. "An impressive achievement by our powertrain experts."¹

How does the company do it? There are a number of breakthrough technologies that Volvo employs in order to make automatic vehicles as efficient as manual ones. For instance, there's the fact that they worked tirelessly to reduce the friction between elements within the transmission gearbox. Then there's the start-stop system that the company recently developed. And finally, we have the energy-optimized electrical systems, which power components in the vehicle, allowing for maximum efficiency.

Another big move that Volvo is making is to combine four-cylinder, 1.6-liter diesel engines with their six-speed Powershift gearbox. That's right the same one featured in models like the Volvo S60 and Volvo S80. Does this mean that these models, equipped with diesel technology, will be making their way over to the States? We'll simply have to wait to see what diesel plans the company has.

In the meantime, you can test drive the already efficient Volvo S60, S80, or any other new Volvo model that we carry here at 4980 Virginia Beach Blvd Virginia Beach, VA 23462 simply by contacting us online or by phone at (888) 209-8305. We're also more than happy to answer any questions that you may have concerning specific models, such as the Volvo C30, XC60, and XC90, and even any of the used Volvo models that we carry too, so make sure to get in touch with us today!

Source: ¹https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/enhanced/en-gb/Media/Preview.aspx?mediaid=41197