THE VOLVO S40 1.8i (pictured above) and V40 1.8i are the first European car models with direct-injection petrol engines.

Direct injection, which combines the benefits of low fuel consumption and high power output, can be seen as the first step towards the 25 per cent reduction in total fuel consumption that Volvo has undertaken to achieve by the year 2005.

Volvo petrol direct injection is based on the technique of injecting the fuel directly into the combustion chamber - straight into each cylinder - instead of injecting the mixture via an inlet duct. The result is more efficient combustion and thus lower fuel consumption.

The technology demands certain conditions in order to work in an optimum way. With the Volvo S40 1.8i and V40 1.8i, the smooth and economical driver can expect a substantial improvement in fuel consumption, up to 10 per cent on country roads, and 10-15 per cent in city/urban traffic.

The direct-injection Volvo is a four-cylinder 1.8-litre engine that was originally developed by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and has been modified by Volvo for the S40/V40 models. The power output is 125bh and peak torque is 174NM.

Deliveries of the engine will begin in March and the first cars are expected to be on the market in the spring of 1998 at Drayton Motors.

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