Sanlorenzo SX120 Demonstrates Volvo Penta IPS Professional Platform

SX120 moves IPS Professional into a 36.58m yacht

Sanlorenzo’s 36.58-metre SX120 is providing a current superyacht installation for Volvo Penta’s IPS Professional Platform. Volvo Penta is using the yacht as a case study for how the next-generation IPS architecture behaves at a size well above the traditional production-motor-yacht market.

Sanlorenzo specifies four Volvo Penta D13-IPS 2700 units for the SX120 and quotes a maximum speed of 24 knots. The installation combines the compact machinery arrangement associated with IPS with a yacht carrying an eight-metre beam and accommodation for 10 guests.

Eco Mode can manage individual engines around demand

One of the platform’s defining features is Eco Mode, which can start and stop individual engines according to the power required at a given moment. Volvo Penta says the aim is to reduce unnecessary engine hours and improve load management without compromising manoeuvrability or control.

The system also retains individually steerable drives and joystick control, allowing the propulsion package to contribute directly to low-speed handling. For captains, that makes the installation relevant not only to fuel use but also to docking, close-quarters operation and the consistency of control across different engine combinations.

Compact machinery frees volume farther aft

Volvo Penta positions the IPS Professional package far aft and says the arrangement can release more onboard volume than a conventional shaft installation. On the SX120, that packaging supports a large stern-focused lifestyle area rather than requiring the machinery arrangement to dominate the lower aft part of the yacht.

Sanlorenzo gives the SX120 a 70-square-metre beach area with a retractable pool, reinforcing the connection between machinery packaging and owner space. The design therefore provides a practical example of how propulsion architecture can influence general arrangement rather than remaining an isolated engineering choice.

Platform is intended for larger leisure and commercial vessels

Volvo Penta says IPS Professional is aimed at vessels from roughly 25 to 55 metres and combines dual-power-input capability, integrated controls and forward-facing counter-rotating propellers. The company quotes improvements in range, acceleration and noise compared with a traditional inboard shaft installation, although actual results depend on vessel design and operating profile.

The SX120 gives those claims a production-superyacht reference rather than a laboratory or commercial-vessel example alone. It also extends Sanlorenzo’s use of IPS into a flagship model where propulsion efficiency, interior volume and beach-club space are all being developed as parts of the same platform.