Volvo is committed to leading edge innovation, and improving vehicle technology. Volvo is particularly well known for this when it comes to safety technology, but the brand's drivetrain technology strides are no less impressive. As such, drivetrain options and even naming conventions change fairly frequently, and it can be difficult to keep up. So we put together this guide to Volvo's most popular two options, the B5 and B6 powertrains.
| B5 | B6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Horsepower | 247 | 295 |
| Torque | 258 lb-ft | 310 lb-ft |
Volvo has sold 6-cylinder engines in the past, and is one of the few automakers to have produced 5-cylinders engines as well, even as recently as 2016. So it would be understandable to think that the numbers in the drivetrains correspond to a cylinder count, but in reality, both are 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines. Both are also mated to a mild hybrid system that gives improved low-end responsiveness and fuel economy. The numbers essentially just denote that one drivetrain is more powerful than the other, due to a difference in tuning.
The B5 is the most commonly used gasoline drivetrain from Volvo. The balance of robust power and impressive fuel economy has made for a highly versatile drivetrain that pairs well with a wide variety of Volvo products. It is also offered exclusively with standard all-wheel drive.
| V60 Cross Country | XC40 | XC60 | XC90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel Economy (city / highway / combined) | 24 / 31 / 27 | 23 / 30 / 26 | 23 / 30 / 26 | 23 / 30 / 26 |
Volvo recognized the need for a more powerful drivetrain option on the larger XC90, and that's where the B6 comes in. It produces more power than does the B5, but this comes at the cost of fuel economy. It's not a huge difference, but it's still a small drop from the more efficient B5. The combined fuel economy rating for the B5 XC90 is only 1 mpg higher than the B6 XC90.
| XC90 | |
|---|---|
| Fuel Economy (city / highway / combined) | 20 / 23 / 26 |
See - it's not very confusing at all. The B5 and B6 gas-powered powertrains are both based on a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, with one sacrificing a small amount of fuel efficiency for more horsepower needed to accelerate our larger Volvo vehicles.