Next Volvo S60 won't offer diesel option

It\'s Volvo\'s latest step towards an electrified future.

Volvo has confirmed its upcoming S60 sedan won't offer a turbodiesel engine. The announcement represents the company's latest step towards an electrified future.

"Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines," said Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson in a statement.

Instead, Volvo will launch the next-generation S60 with four-cylinder engines and two plug-in hybrid powertrains. The company remains committed to introduce mild hybrid versions starting next year. There's no word yet on whether it will begin to phase out turbodiesel engines in its other model lines.

The decision to make a diesel-free S60 doesn't affect Americans. Volvo hasn't offered a diesel engine here for decades and it had no plans to return to the segment. The announcement is largely geared towards Europe, where most Volvo models compete in segments where diesel still represents a large percentage of sales.

The company reiterated its goal of launching only electrified models starting next year. Every new model it introduces will be either fully electric, a plug-in hybrid, or a mild hybrid.

The next-generation Volvo S60 will make its official debut shortly. Production will take place in a brand-new factory located on the outskirts of Charleston, South Carolina, and the model will arrive in showrooms in 2019.

Photo by Ronan Glon.