The diesel-powered Audi TDI models are coming!
All three Audi TDI models share the VW Group’s diesel 3.0-liter V-6 engine, which puts out 240 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, and all come standard with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The A6 and A7 TDI are EPA-rated for 24 mpg in the city and a remarkable 38 mpg on the highway. In the case of the A6, those figures are a huge improvement over both the gas four- and six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive versions, which are good for 20/30 mpg and 18/27 mpg, respectively. The A7 TDI also handily beats its supercharged, gas-fed V-6 counterpart’s 18/28 rating. The Q5 TDI also is the most efficient Q5, but not by much; its 24/31 mpg is only marginally better than the Q5 hybrid’s 24/30 rating. Regular gas-powered Q5s return 20/28 mpg in four-cylinder guise and 18/26 mpg in supercharged six-cylinder form.
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The A6, A7, and Q5 TDI aren’t available in the base, Premium trim level offered on gas-powered models; instead, all three are offered only in mid-level Premium Plus and top-spec Prestige guise. Pricing starts at $58,395 for the A6, $67,795 for the A7, and $47,395 for the Q5. Pricing for the gas 2014 A6, A7, and Q5 isn’t available, but compared to the 2013 V-6 gas versions, the premium for the diesel engine runs between $2600 and $3100. The cars’ only true competition consists of Mercedes-Benz’s diesel-powered E350 BlueTec sedan and GLK250 BlueTec crossover. Both Benzes undercut the Audi A6 and Q5 TDI by thousands, and the GLK250—which utilizes a four-cylinder engine rather than a six—merely matches the Q5′s city fuel economy of 24 mpg. On the highway, however, the GLK’s 33 mpg only improves upon the more powerful Q5′s highway fuel economy by 2 mpg.
All three diesel Audis go on sale this summer, and will join the diesel-fed A8, outgoing A3, and Q7 in the brand’s TDI lineup.
