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All torque and no action

There are a good number of three-year-old C5 and 407 estates on the market at what seems a good price. Many of them have the 1.6 HDI engine. Aren't these somewhat underpowered for what are pretty large cars

Asked on 25 April 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
Volvo is about to introduce the same engine in the V70 and S80, so the answer is no. I've got one in my Focus and it's fine. Surprisingly, the 1.6 develops more torque at lower rpm than the 2.0 diesel (285Nm at 1,750rpm v/s 260Nm at 2,000rpm), so, with the right gearing, it is actually better suited to lugging a large body along.

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