Audi Launching Four Diesels For North America In 2013

by Derek Kreindler

Published: November 20th, 2012

audi launching four diesels for north america in 2013

Alas, no wagons among them, but Audi is launching four new diesel powered models for 2013, marking one of the biggest pushes for diesel in the North American market.

The A6, A7, A8 and Q5 will all receive a 3.0L V6 TDI engine, good for 240 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The A8 will go on sale in the spring of 2013, with the other models following in the fall. Conspicuously absent was the A4 TDI, but if BMW ends up bringing over their diesel 3-Series, an A4 TDI should follow.

#Audi #AudiA6 #AudiA7 #AudiA8 #AudiQ5 #Diesel #TDI

Derek Kreindler

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CT_Jake on Nov 21, 2012

Seems like Audi wants to market diesels as an upscale item - hence they are putting them into the high-end models which nobody really buys. Don't really understand their logic. Aren't the Jetta, Golf and Passat diesels selling quite well. In general, diesels aren't going to make a splash here until other manufacturers bring them here. I'm looking forward to seeing how Mazda's models with diesels perform and are priced. I also have to acknowledge a lusting for the Volvo diesel/hybrid V60. It seems like the (near) perfect blend. Happy Thanksgiving to all the USA folks. Jake

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- Hreardon on Nov 21, 2012
  
  Jake, I would argue the opposite: Buyers at the low end of the spectrum are more price sensitive than buyers higher up the food chain. Diesels add a good $1200-$2000 to the price of a vehicle. There's a reason the take rate on the A3 and Q7 diesels is so high: those buyers aren't as sensitive to the premium for TDI. That up-sell helped turn the A3 from a loss leader for Audi into a profit and image maker. The A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 are substantially more profitable than the A4 and A3. Adding diesel to these will likely be very lucrative for Audi of America as diesels have become more palatable to American tastes. It's also a stopgap measure as Audi's electric and hybrid programs aren't yet fully baked, yet their TDI program is very mature, reliable and economical from a manufacture, sales and support standpoint.
  
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Blowfish on Nov 21, 2012

A real trophy wife, by the way, would not stoop to pumping her own gas anyway an excellente observation dude! and they dont care if the car burns 10 gal to a mile either.

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Geee on Nov 21, 2012

My A3 TDI will get 37 average and 45 on the highway easy. However, the cars mentioned in this article are getting a V6 TDI, a very different engine, which won't get anything close to those MPG specs, especially given the heavier total vehicle weight. We looked at the VW Toureg - 3Liter 240HP V6, only gets 20/29 rating on MPG.

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Fvfvsix on Nov 22, 2012

After driving a BMW 335d recently, I gotta say I am a real sucker for the 3 liter class diesels. Give me 400 lb-ft of torque in a smallish sedan, fuel mileage be damned. I thrashed that thing for an entire day, and my fuel mileage was 26MPG for the run. I'm sold.

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