GOTEBORG, SWEDEN - The environmentally conscious Volvo customer can now buy a diesel-powered Volvo V70 or S80 with CO2 emissions as low as 119 g/km - corresponding to fuel consumption of just 4.5 l/100 km.

This means that over the past year or so, Volvo Cars has succeeded in delivering five models with emissions below 120 g/km.

"There has been a swift pace of development since the launch of our first 119-gram models in Paris in autumn 2008. The fact that we have now brought two of the larger models in our range below the magical 120 gram limit shows that few of our competitors can match us when it comes to offering customers increasingly green cars," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stephen Odell.

Volvo's DRIVe badge is found on cars with the best environmental performance in their respective size class. In addition to the Volvo V70 and S80, the other DRIVe models with emissions below 120 g/km consist of the Volvo C30 (99 g/km), Volvo S40 (104 g/km) and Volvo V50 (104 g/km).

As before, the new 119-gram versions of the Volvo V70 and S80 are equipped with a 1.6-litre diesel engine and manual gearbox. They have a power output of 109 hp and maximum torque is 240 Nm.

Volvo's driveline experts have employed two techniques to reduce CO2 emissions from the previous 129 g/km (4.9 l/100 km) to 119 g/km (4.5 l/100 km):

• Intelligent battery recharging, whereby the control system only allows the alternator to charge the battery when the engine is operating at low load, for instance when driving downhill.

• Reduced friction for the belt that drives the alternator and air conditioning compressor. The redesign of the tensioner pulley and alternator pulley results in lower fuel consumption and lower emissions.

"Smart battery recharging is the most important measure. It is primarily thanks to this that we have dipped below the 120-gram level that gives car owners tax breaks and other benefits in a number of European countries. What is more, one might say that we offer the normal driver one free tank of fuel a year," says Ulf Nordström, Technical Project manager at Volvo Cars.

The reduction in fuel consumption from 4.9 l/100 km (mixed driving cycle) to 4.5 l/100 km means that someone driving 15,000 km a year will save 60 litres of diesel. Translated into carbon dioxide emissions, the saving is 150 kg over a year.

"Since highway consumption is now just 4.0L per 100 kilometres, you can cover 1750 kilometres on a full tank of fuel. That's an amazing range bearing in mind the car's size," says Ulf Nordström.