OREANDA-NEWS. Volvo Cars has unveiled a D5 Twin Engine Special Edition of its bestselling V60 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid. The new car will take the established Volvo Cars plug-in hybrid solution to a wider audience.

“We were the first car maker to develop and produce a diesel-based plug-in hybrid powertrain with the launch of the V60 D6 in 2012. Since then we have been working on further refining our innovative approach to electrification and hybrid powertrains, as can be seen in our brand new XC90 T8 Twin Engine which is just entering full-scale production. With the launch of the V60 D5 Twin Engine Special Edition we are broadening our Twin Engine product range,” said Dr. Thomas M?ller, Vice President Electrical and Electronics Systems Engineering at Volvo Car Group.

The V60 D5 Twin Engine will deliver 120 kW via the combustion engine and about 50 kW from its 11.2 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack using the same proven configuration used in the V60 D6 Twin Engine. This translates to a maximum driveline power output of approximately 230 hp when the electric motor and diesel engine are working simultaneously.

“We decided to offer a special edition of the V60 D5 Twin Engine to celebrate the growing success and continued roll-out of our Twin Engine product range. We are one of few car makers that deliver a true no compromise driving experience – combining the benefits of pure electric drive, high performance and great fuel economy,” added Dr. Thomas M?ller.

The Special Edition is delivered with Crystal White exterior paint, 19-inch wheels and glossy black exterior detailing. Inside, the car is equipped with a black headliner and piano black trim. The V60 D5 Special Edition will also feature the unique Blond sport seat upholstery with decorative white stitching as seen in our Volvo Ocean Race editions.

Just 500 examples of the special edition model will be built, while a regular V60 D5 Twin Engine will be more widely available later this spring. 

About Volvo Car Group

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 25,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Sk?vde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofstr?m (Sweden).