Audi has launched a new V6 turbo-dieselengine in 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 throughout Europe, the new V6 TDI engine is a 3.0-litre unit generating 220kW of power and 580Nm of torque – by comparison, the previous-generation 3.0 V6 TDI made up to 210kW/600Nm.
However, Audi’s MHEV plus system adds a generator, belt alternator stater and a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery into the mix, which can add up to 18kW/230Nm when “starting off and overtaking”. Further, the system can feed up to 25kW of energy back into the hybrid battery.
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Further to the new MHEV tech, the V6 TDI ‘EA897 evo4’ also gets a new electrically powered compressor, which compared to previous implementations of the technology claims to be “significantly” more powerful and operable across “the entire speed range”.
“When the load demand from the accelerator pedal is high, and the energy supply on the turbine side is low, the intake air is directed to the electrically powered compressor,” Audi explains in its media release.
“There, this air – already compressed by the exhaust-driven turbocharger – is further compressed before entering the combustion chamber.”
Audi claims this all contributes to more linear and faster response, particularly in the mid-range, as well as “more direct pedal feel, increased efficiency, and improved long-term durability”.
Max boost of 3.6 bar is claimed to build up nearly a second faster than before, with the compressor wheel spinning up to 90,000 revolutions per minute within 250 milliseconds, an increase of 40 per cent. The company says “it closely resembles the feel of an electric drive with similar power”.
In Europe, the new V6 TDI motor will be compatible with sustainable HVO fuel (hydrotreated vegetable oil). This fuel enables a “70 to 95 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to petroleum-derived fuel”.
HVO is made using residual and waste materials, such as used cooking oil or agricultural by-products. Oils are converted into saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons using hydrogen, which modifies the properties of the vegetable oils to make them suitable for use in diesel engines.
Further, these can be blended with conventional diesel to replace fossil components, or used as a 100 per cent pure fuel alternative. Audi says new vehicles leaving its two German plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm are delivered with HVO fuel already in the tank.
According to German specifications, the Audi Q5 TDI quattro 220kW accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 5.0 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 250km/h. Price-wise, it’s €5000 ($8844) more than the four-cylinder TFSI quattro 200kW.
“We now have a full range of drivetrains available including petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid for the Australian market,” said an Audi Australia spokesperson when asked whether the new engine will be introduced here.
“Of course, we evaluate all engine options for the Australian market. However, our primary focus remains on expanding our range with vehicles that align with NVES (New Vehicle Efficiency Standard) requirements while still delivering a broad range of spec, variants, and performance for Australian customers.”
The new A6 range has yet to be locked in for Australia, though the Q5 is already on sale and includes a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine.
The brand’s local executives have thrown their support behind diesel engines, despite other manufacturers moving away from diesel engines following the VW Group’s Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal.
“I don’t think people are scared of diesel [in the Q5’s] segment… looking back previously, just the four-cylinder diesel accounted for 25 per cent [of sales]. That’s a really significant amount of of volume for a big-volume car, so we couldn’t say no to a diesel – we would have potentially been losing customers,” product manager for Audi Australia Peter Strudwicke told CarExpert at the launch of the new Q5 in September.
“Where we do see opportunity is with MHEV plus in the new car, having the diesel powertrain that’s already super efficient… allows seamless mobility between electrification at low speeds and diesel efficiency at higher speeds – that really highlights how far the diesel concept has come in our cars,” Matthew Dale, head of product for Audi Australia, added during the same interview.
Key Q5 rivals, the Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo XC60, have moved away from diesel altogether in Australia, while the BMW X3 only offers a six-cylinder diesel locally in its latest generation.
MORE: Audi: ‘We’d be losing customers’ without diesel in Australia