To combat corrosion, Volvo Penta's gasoline inboards are now fully coated using an electro-deposition process. Since opposites attract, the result is a uniform coating even in inaccessible areas. Trouble spots such as the exhaust manifolds are treated inside and out, and the oil pans on these engines are now all-aluminum.

Volvo Penta's newly designed boat wiring system connection and electrical circuit protection box should promise easier installation and decreased chance of electrical malfunction. Regular maintenance is kept to a minimum thanks in part to the continued use of long-life coolant and the durable, platinum-tipped spark plugs introduced last year. And Volvo Penta has gone GM's all-in-one Serpentine Belt system one better by adding an automatic spring tensioner.

Volvo Penta has also come out with a new engine using GM's 5.7 liter block. Apparently the company has taken a cue from Silicon Valley, where packing ever more power into smaller, more affordable machines is a way of life. The Swedes are touting their new 5.7-liter GXi as an economical workhorse. Harnessed to its DuoProp drive, it puts out 315 hp, making it comparable to last year's 7.4-liter Gi, but smaller, nearly 17 percent lighter, and less expensive. The 5.7 GXi, like all of Volvo Penta's gasoline inboards, is covered by a two-year limited factory warranty.

Volvo Penta of the Americas (757) 436-2800. Fax: (757) 436-5150. www.vpfluidthinking.com.

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