What Boat Engine Package is Right for You?

Close your eyes and picture your ideal boat. The boat you and your family will enjoy and invite friends aboard. A boat that will serve as an escape one sunny afternoon and a social gathering point the next.

Do those images include relaxing in the cockpit, gazing back at an uninterrupted horizon? Maybe your ideal image is lounging on the swim platform while anchored in an idyllic cove with your legs dangling below the surface. Or perhaps laughing as the peace is interrupted by a child launching overhead, yelling “Cowabunga!” as they attempt to splash you with the perfect cannonball.

These are but a few of the images made possible by propulsion power choices like Volvo Penta’s diesel sterndrive and IPS solutions. Power choices tucked out of sight not just for form but function. The position of these marine propulsion packages allows you to take full advantage of the swim platform, enjoy both an uninterrupted view and path aft, and not worry about an exposed motor and propeller. And all while offering distinct advantages when it comes to power, fuel efficiency and long-term reliability.

When it comes to powering your boat, no one boat engine solution fits all. But if the above characteristics color your personal snapshot, Volvo Penta power solutions are more than ready…to make those dreams into your boating reality.

Location and Safety

There are many traits that distinguish Volvo Penta sterndrive and IPS power from its most common competitor, the outboard engine. The most obvious, however, is the location. Whereas an outboard engine is mounted to the transom and typically divides a small swim platform (or multiple motors occupy the space all together), both sterndrive and Volvo Penta IPS are tucked out of sight. This leaves a broad swim platform to span the beam. It’s the ideal layout for socializing at the beach or cove. It also creates the perfect perch when gearing up for a wake, tube or ski run. 

Sterndrive and Volvo Penta IPS also offer enhanced safety. Whereas an exposed outboard engine and propeller can both literally and figuratively get in the way, the typical sterndrive lower unit is positioned well under the swim platform. The Volvo Penta IPS tucks the drives even farther forward. The system positions propellers at the front, rather than rear of the drive. 
The result is an open, inviting, transom area, ready for multiple activities.

Enhanced Performance…And Proven Reliability

Volvo Penta diesel sterndrive and IPS systems also boast technology on the cutting-edge of marine propulsion design. Both offer many performance benefits that may surprise buyers not familiar with modern systems.

Start with fuel efficiency. An Aquamatic sterndrive with its counter-rotating, DuoProp propellers is as much as 30% more efficient compared to most outboard (and inboard) solutions. The Volvo Penta IPS drives offer a similar advantage. Diesel engine power also has a well-earned reputation for superior fuel efficiency. This is an advantage that only grows as horsepower increases. Outboard solutions often require multiple motors to provide comparable, apples-to-apples horsepower. This also results in diesel sterndrive and IPS solutions frequently offering a superior power-to-weight ratio and greater range than a comparable outboard engine configuration.

And then there’s diesel power’s well-known reputation for reliability and longevity. The technology has been proven in tough commercial applications for decades. The solution is increasingly appreciated by recreational buyers who value extended service intervals, minimal downtime, lower maintenance costs and power they can count on for many seasons to come.
And put aside those old-school thoughts about emissions and black smoke. Modern, clean diesel technology is now one of the most environmentally-friendly solutions on the market. 

Integrated Automation

Innovation is not only found in Volvo Penta’s drive and boat engine technology, but also in groundbreaking additions that make boating easier and less stressful. 

That joystick control seemingly everywhere in today’s market? Volvo Penta pioneered it 15 years ago. Today, the technology offers arguably the easiest, most intuitive low-speed control on the water. Whether approaching a crowded waterfront restaurant or boat-filled marina, Volvo Penta Joystick Control gives both novice and experienced captain total confidence to maneuver in the tightest of spaces.

Automation also eliminates many of boating’s perceived hassles. Volvo Penta’s Dynamic Positioning System holds both position and heading while you wait for space to open at the fuel dock or your crew to ready lines. Assisted Docking is a new boat docking system that compensates for some external elemental forces and allows you to navigate tight areas with higher precision.

An Individual Solution

Obviously, all propulsion choices have their strengths as well as their own unique limitations. Get the facts, compare each choice’s characteristics to how you and your family like to use your boat, and then choose the solution that most closely aligns with what matters to you most.

But if that answer includes things like impressive performance, spending less time at the fuel pump, innovation that takes much of the common stress points out of boating — or maybe just that clean, open transom that invites your kids to get you wet — know that Volvo Penta’s got a solution. 

One that allows you to enjoy all of your boat’s potential. 

See why Volvo Penta’s propulsion packages may just be the right fit for you. Choose us, and you’ll Fuel Less, Feel More.