Audi reveals new-gen diesel engine

AUDI has unveiled a new-generation “clean diesel” V6 engine in Austria overnight that will be up to 13 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessor and could find its way under the bonnet of the next-generation Q7 SUV due later this year, among others.

The new 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine will be available in two states of tune – 160kW and 200kW – and while it has not confirmed peak torque figures, the German car-maker said it would be as high as 600Nm depending on the model.

Audi's says its new turbocharged oil-burner features a number of “high-end” components, such as optimised piston rings and pins for minimal friction, separate coolant loops for the crankcase newly designed cylinder heads, and a more efficient thermal management system, while the oil pump and turbocharger have also been updated.

A nitrogen oxide (NOx) storage catalytic converter has been combined with a diesel particulate filter and SCR injection in what Audi says is a world first.

The new engine is Euro 6 compliant and the company says CO2 emissions have been reduced by about 15g/km.

While Audi has not confirmed which of its models the new turbo-diesel V6 will end up powering, it is likely to surface in the second-generation Q7 SUV that is rumoured to appear later this year, possibly at the Paris motor show in October.

The current 3.0-litre V6 turbo sees service in a number of Audi models including the Q5 SUV, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 in different states of tune ranging from 150kW/400Nm in the A4 3.0 TDI to 190kW/580Nm in the recently released A8 limo.

Audi AG chairman of the Board of Management Rupert Stadler said the German brand has led the way with diesel technology in the past and will continue to do so into the future.

“TDI engines are a central part of our technology mix for the mobility of tomorrow,” he said. “We have continued to perfect this technology over several decades and believe there is still potential for increasing efficiency in the future too.”

Audi used the 35th International Vienna Motor Symposium in Austria to show off its new seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission to be used in front-wheel drive models. The new transmission helps boost efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 10g/km.