What's all this about?

If you've been following Volvo's development since it left the clutches of Ford, you'll know all about its Drive-E ethos. These new engines will be a maximum of four cylinders and 2.0 litres, with turbo-, supercharging or electrification (or a combination of some/all of these) used to alter the power outputs. A smaller, 1.5-litre three-cylinder Drive-E is also in development.

And...?

All front-wheel drive Volvos in the range now have Drive-E engines of some sort or another. The only cars not using these clean new engines are the all-wheel drive vehicles still powered by the 2.4-litre five-cylinder lump.

What does all of this mean?

It means Volvo's range has a huge wealth of diesel cars that are capable of slipping under the VED-beating threshold of 100g/km CO₂ emissions, while the petrols aren't too far behind; the 'least clean' Drive-E announced emits 138g/km.

Has Volvo added anything else?

Some new colours (blues, blacks and greys) replace older, er... blues and blacks, there are a few bits of additional standard kit for some models (for instance, all S60s now get rain-sensing wipers) and a 1.5-litre Drive-E with four cylinders powers six-speed automatic Volvos. Fresh alloy wheel designs are also on offer, D4 engines go up to 190hp from 181hp previously, while the V60 plug-in hybrid has been renamed the D6 Twin Engine and given an extra 5hp - it's a pretty thorough overhaul.