Audi has launched a new one V6 turbodieselMotor at the latest Q5 SUV as well as the A6 Sedan, complete with the brand’s latest “MHEV plus” mild hybrid system and an electric turbocharger.
Available to order now in select markets across Europe, the new V6 TDI engine features a 3.0-litre engine producing 220kW of power and 580Nm of torque – in comparison, the previous generation 3.0 V6 TDI produced up to 210kW/600Nm.
However, Audi’s MHEV plus system adds an alternator, a belt alternator stater and a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery to the mix that can produce up to 18kW/230Nm during ‘starting and overtaking’. In addition, the system can feed up to 25 kW of energy back into the hybrid battery.
With Daily Sparkz you can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
In addition to the new MHEV technology, the V6-TDI “EA897 evo4” also receives a new electrically driven compressor, which is said to be “significantly” more powerful compared to previous implementations of the technology and can be used across “the entire speed range”.
“When there is a high load requirement via the accelerator pedal and low energy supply on the turbine side, the intake air is directed to the electrically operated compressor,” explains Audi in its media release.
“There, this air, which has already been compressed by the exhaust gas turbocharger, is further compressed before it reaches the combustion chamber.”
According to Audi, this all contributes to a more linear and quicker response, particularly in the mid-range, as well as “more direct pedal feel, higher efficiency and improved long-term durability”.
The maximum boost pressure of 3.6 bar is said to build up almost a second faster than before, with the compressor wheel rotating up to 90,000 revolutions per minute within 250 milliseconds, which corresponds to an increase of 40 percent. The company says: “It closely resembles the driving experience of an electric drive with similar performance.”
In Europe, the new V6 TDI engine will be compatible with sustainable HVO (hydrogen-treated vegetable oil) fuel. This fuel enables a “reduction in CO2 emissions by 70 to 95 percent compared to petroleum-based fuel”.
HVO is made from residual and waste materials such as used cooking oil or agricultural by-products. Hydrogen is used to convert oils into saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, changing the properties of the vegetable oils so that they are suitable for use in diesel engines.
Additionally, these can be blended with conventional diesel to replace fossil components or used as a 100 percent pure fuel alternative. Audi says new vehicles leaving its two German plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm are already delivered with HVO fuel in the tank.
According to German information, the Audi Q5 TDI quattro 220kW accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 250 km/h. In terms of price, it is 5,000 euros more than the four-cylinder TFSI quattro 200 kW.
“We now have a full range of powertrains available, including petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid for the Australian market,” an Audi Australia spokesperson said when asked if the new engine would be introduced here.
“We are of course looking at all engine options for the Australian market, however our main focus remains on expanding our range with vehicles that meet New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) requirements whilst offering Australian customers a wide range of specifications, variants and performance.”
The new A6 range has yet to be available for Australia, although the Q5 is already on sale and has a four-cylinder turbo diesel engine.
The brand’s local executives have supported diesel engines even as other manufacturers have moved away from diesel engines following VW Group’s Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal.
“I don’t think people are afraid of the diesel (in the Q5 segment)… Looking back, the four-cylinder diesel alone accounted for 25 percent (of sales). That’s a really significant volume for a high-volume car, so we couldn’t say no to a diesel – we might have lost customers,” said Peter Strudwicke, product manager for Audi Australia Daily Sparkz at the market launch of the new Q5 in September.
“An opportunity we see with MHEV plus in the new car, as the diesel powertrain is already extremely efficient… enabling seamless mobility between electrification at low speeds and diesel efficiency at higher speeds – this really highlights how far the diesel concept has advanced in our cars,” added Matthew Dale, product manager for Audi Australia, in the same interview.
The Q5’s main rivals, the Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo XC60, have moved away from diesel entirely in Australia, while the BMW
MORE: Audi: “Without diesel we would lose customers in Australia”.
MORE: Discover the Audi A6 showroom
MORE: Discover the Audi Q5 showroom
