Volvo Penta Engines named one of boating industry’s top products

by Christine Carlson on 3 May 2016 Boating Industry, the monthly U.S. boating business magazine, has selected Volvo Penta's new 5.3L 300 and 350 hp V8 gasoline sterndrive engines to the annual list of top products. The 2016 winners were announced in the magazine’s May issue.

“This year’s selections were chosen from hundreds of products introduced or significantly updated since the beginning of 2015,” said Boating Industry editor in chief Jonathan Sweet. “These products were selected for their innovation, their impact on the industry, creativity and more.”

These next-generation engines introduce fresh features that have never been available to the sterndrive market from any engine supplier. They are the first and only V8 marine gas engines combining the following technical advancements:

• Variable Valve Timing (VVT) producing higher torque and acceleration across the full range of RPMs
• Common-rail direct fuel injection for better fuel economy and lower emissions
• Lightweight all-aluminum block for industry-leading weight-to-horsepower ratio
• Freshwater cooling (FWC) for longer engine life in the marine environment
• Wideband oxygen sensors to accommodate blended fuels and fuel quality

The V8-300 and 350 are based on GM’s highly acclaimed Gen V aluminum blocks introduced at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. They are engineered into marine engines and extensively tested at Volvo Penta’s factory in Lexington, Tenn.

“We were impressed by not only the new Gen V technology of Volvo Penta’s new engines, but also its efforts to simplify service and accessibility with the Front Engine Accessory Drive,” noted Sweet.

“We believe new technologies and innovations like these new V8s and our award-winning Forward Drive play a key role in growing boating by creating unprecedented levels of fun and excitement,” said Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas. “We’re making it possible for boat builders to bring to market state-of-the-art sterndrive boats to exceed the expectations of today’s consumers. The V8s are also up to 10 percent more fuel efficient and the most environmentally friendly engines in the industry – by a large margin.”

“The Boating Industry Top Products selection is an honor, and the credit goes to our talented engineering team who devoted countless hours into developing and fine-tuning these remarkable engines, as well as our valued partners who inspire us to deliver the latest in transformative marine technology,” Huibers added. “At Volvo Penta, innovation is in our DNA.”