Volvo Penta Debuts Two New Off-Highway Engines

June 12, 2015

Jean L.

The new Volvo Penta D8 off-highway diesel engine was debuted at Intermat 2015. Displacement has been increased compared to previous versions, though fuel consumption was improved by 2.5%.

Volvo Penta offered up at Intermat the latest additions to its engine lineup: new 5- and 8-L off-highway diesel engines.

Developed in coordination with the Volvo Group, the D5 and D8 engines feature a newly designed platform. Displacement has been increased compared to previous versions, and the new engines offer improved engine block stiffness, as well as higher torque at low speed. While the engines have a larger displacement, Volvo says that fuel consumption is reduced by as much as 2.5%.

Committing to environmental care and Tier 4 technologies starts at the top at Volvo, with Martin Weissburg, President of Volvo Construction Equipment, saying quite bluntly during a conference at Intermat, that "we're part of the problem therefore we must be part of the solution. We move Earth and we want to protect the Earth."

While Weissburg used the term "brand elasticity" when referring to Volvo wheel loaders and its SDLG brand, the term also seems appropriate to Volvo Penta engines. By designing the new engines to meet a variety of emissions standards, including Stage II/Tier 2, Stage IIIA/Tier 3 equivalent, and Tier 4 Final/Stage IV, no matter where a manufacturer exports its products, Volvo Penta can match an engine to the market’s regulations. Easing the transition is that fact that all of Volvo Penta’s engines, regardless of emissions stage, share a common footprint, with components like the turbocharger located in the same place on all models—making design and installation easier for OEMs.

Across the varying regulated markets, the new engines are suitable for a variety of off-highway applications including construction. There has been somewhat of a push recently for Volvo Penta to capitalize on Volvo CE’s knowledge and expertise in the construction market, the fruition of which has resulted in the engine supplier increasing its presence in the construction market, having procured several construction customers in the past year, including McCloskey, Tesmec, and BBA Pumps.

In the aftermarket, Volvo Penta is also working to expand its service network by partnering with Volvo CE dealers around the world. Already, Volvo Penta has joined up with its sister company’s dealers in Australia, South Africa, and Russia, and more partnerships are expected to come—extending the company’s reach and taking advantage of these dealers’ experience in the construction industry.