Volvo ditches diesel in favour of plug-in XC40

The Volvo XC40 is available as a plug-in hybrid. Photo: Volvo

In a sign of the times Volvo is taking away its diesel models in the UK, removing the D3 and D4 models as it says only 19 per cent of its model sales for 2020 have been diesel.

Volvo has instead delivered a second plug-in petrol-electric hybrid powertrain for the multi-award-winning XC40 compact SUV. The introduction of the new XC40 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T4 increases customer choice and opens the highly efficient plug-in hybrid technology to a wider market.

At the same time, two new mild-hybrid petrol options have been added to the range, in the form of the new XC40 B4 and B5.

The first UK deliveries of the new XC40 Recharge Pure Electric P8 scheduled for early 2021, the XC40 offers customers a choice of electrified powertrains: full battery-electric, petrol-electric plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid electrified petrol.

The next XC90 will not feature diesel either, in the push to hybrid and full electric models. 

Volvo is aiming for full electrification across its model range with its ambitious goal of having one million electric cars on the road by 2025.