Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo’s newest engine family, the Drive-E Powertrain, welcomes its newest member with the release of a tri-boosted four-cylinder engine that’s scheduled to deliver no less than 450 horsepower – from a tiny 2.0-liter displacement base.

“When we launched the Drive-E powertrain family, our aim was to deliver the most advanced 4-cylinder engines in the industry based on emissions and fuel consumption relative to performance and drivability. We knew that 320 hp in our petrol configuration was just a starting point. The 450 hp High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept, demonstrates this ambition and the versatility of the Drive-E Powertrains,” says Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Volvo Car Group.

It achieves this feat through the use of a pair of parallel turbochargers, which by themselves are not unique.

The interesting feature is the electrically-powered turbo-compressor. Instead of feeding the engine’s cylinders, the compressor acts to spool the turbochargers’ exhaust turbines. Direct injection is also employed in this configuration to ensure fuel efficiency, as a pair of fuel pumps work at 250 bar of pressure, which equates to 3,675 pounds per square inch of fuel pressure.

The design of the turb0-compressor along with other technologies came with the help of Volvo suppliers AVL, Denso, and Volvo Polestar Racing, infusing the engine platform with technologies developed on the racetrack.

“This was a very exciting project as we pioneered a combination of technologies in the same application, and the result is a quite unique engine with its high power yet quick response. Above all, its compact size improves weight distribution between the front and rear axle and lowers the center of gravity – two factors that have a significant effect on the handling, whether it is a race car or a street car,” said Mattias Evensson, Race Engine Director at Volvo Polestar Racing.

“It may sound odd, but this 450 hp powertrain concept is an important part of the Drive-E development program. Down-sizing must offer customers attractive and usable power for broad scale emissions reduction to work. Compact powertrains free up space and weight in the structure of the car, which can be used for electrification and even further emissions reduction. And that is our ultimate ambition,” concludes Dr. Mertens.