Autoblog

Diesel sales jump, we ask "how high"? (35 percent)

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:28:00 EST

It may come as a shock, but diesel cars are doing well outside of their traditional European home. The just-released Mazda CX-5 shows that diesels are selling beyond expectations in Japan, but the real story is that we might be seeing the start of a golden era for diesel-powered cars in the U.S. In fact, clean diesel sales were up 35 percent in the first quarter of 2012 over Q1 2011, a trend - and it is a trend, since diesel sales were up 27 percent in 2011 - that the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) says is due to higher fuel prices pushing people into the efficient oil-burners.

Allen Schaeffer, DTF's executive director, said in a statement that, "I expect clean diesel auto sales to increase further as several new diesel cars are introduced in the U.S. market in the next year."

Right now, it's pretty much all Jetta TDI, all the time.

Once those other vehicles arrive, we'll see how the market shakes out. Right now, it's pretty much all Jetta TDI, all the time. A while back, we spoke with Lars Ullrich, the director of marketing and business excellence, diesel systems North America, for Robert Bosch LLC. He told us that diesel Jettas made up 44 percent of all diesels sold in the U.S. last year, which makes the Jetta sort of the Prius of diesels in America. Last year, Volkswagen had 58 percent of all diesel sales in the U.S.

Does this mean the Jetta TDI is "the" diesel in the U.S.? Ullrich said it depends on how you look at the numbers. About 60 percent of all Audi A3s sold in the U.S. in 2011, for example, were diesel, but the A3 sells in smaller numbers overall than the Jetta. When you have diesels available in high-volume models, he said, you end up selling a lot of diesels.

Diesel-powered passenger cars and medium-duty pick-ups had around three percent market share in the U.S. in 2011.

What does the big picture look like? Overall, diesel-powered passenger cars and medium-duty pick-ups had around three percent market share in the U.S. in 2011. That may not sound like a lot, but compare it to the hybrid market share, which has gone from 2.7 to 2.4 to 2.1 percent over the last three years, Ullrich said. Today, there are 25 clean diesel models available in the U.S. By 2014, that number will double, he said, which gives us an indication of where the market is moving. Echoing Schaeffer, Bosch's prediction is that the U.S. will see diesels grab 10 percent of the market by 2015.

While increasingly popular, diesels are not perfect. There are issues like the $32-a-gallon urea liquid, for example, and a fossil fuel is a fossil fuel. But it's clear that Americans are considering diesel more than they used to. The question is what happens when the diesel Chevrolet Cruze and Jeep Grand Cherokee arrive? Or more of Mazda's Skyactiv-D models? And, further down the line, when we see more merging of electric and diesel powertrains, where the diesel - perhaps renewable diesel - is burned in an efficient generator to generate electricity. That's when things get even more exciting.

High gas prices are helping plug-in vehicles and hybrids do quite well in the U.S., too. The Diesel Technology Forum says hybrid sales increased 37.2 percent while plug-in electrics jumped 323 percent. Overall, vehicle sales were up 13.4 percent. For more number-crunching details, see our monthly green car sales charts for January, February and March of 2012. The DTF has compiled a list of all the diesel-powered vehicles available in the U.S. here.

Continue reading Diesel sales jump, we ask "how high"? (35 percent)

Diesel sales jump, we ask "how high"? (35 percent) originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi pumps out new twin-turbo TDI 3.0L V6 [w/audio]

Noah Joseph — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Audi, Diesel

If you're in the market for a new car and diesel's among the options you'd consider, your local Audi showroom should be among your first destinations. The German automaker has made burning oil a cause célèbre right up there with Quattro all-wheel drive, but it's not about to sit on its proverbial laurels and let the competition catch up. To that end, Audi has just announced its most powerful V6 TDI yet.

Called the BiTDI, the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel packs 313 metric horsepower (309hp on our scale) and a whopping 480 pound-feet of torque. It's being rolled out initially in the UK on the A6 (sedan, Avant wagon and Allroad high-rider) and A7 Sportback, but we're told to expect its arrival soon as an option on the Q7 crossover.

In the A6 sedan, the BiTDI is said to be good for a 5.1-second dash to 62 mph, with top speed (as per usual) limited to 155 mph while returning a 44.1 mph rating on the combined UK cycle. But if that's not full enough a package for you, Audi has also fitted a sound actuator to give its throaty new diesel the exhaust note you'd expect from a hi-po gasoline engine. But you don't have to take our word for it - just click through the jump to listen to a sound file of the new engine, as well as read the official press release.

Continue reading Audi pumps out new twin-turbo TDI 3.0L V6 [w/audio]

Audi pumps out new twin-turbo TDI 3.0L V6 [w/audio] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi S6 and S7 to offer diesel engines *UPDATE

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Audi, Rumormill, Luxury

2012 Audi S7 spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Audi S lineup is not a world filled with many choices. Sure, you can pick your poison in terms of which S vehicle you want, but you do not have a say in which engine is mounted under the hood. However, it seems the upcoming Audi S6 and S7 might be poised to break with that tradition.

Rumor has it that the more athletic versions of the A6 and A7 will be offered with a choice of engines. The standard engine for both cars is slated to be a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 with around 450 horsepower, but Audi is reportedly going to offer up a diesel, as well, marking the first time such an engine has been offered with an S-branded vehicle. This 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 should be good for 300 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque.

*Update: Apparently, this one is too good to be true - kind of. The cars will be available with the diesel lumps, but the badging will keep the A and not wear an S. Regardless, we're excited to see more sporty diesels arrive stateside.

Audi S6 and S7 to offer diesel engines *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spoiler Alert: Audi's new R15+ racer comes out storming

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:37:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Diesel, Racing

Allan McNish in Audi R15+ - Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite winning in its debut at the 2009 12 Hours of Sebring, last year was not a stellar year for Audi's Le Mans Prototype program. After a thorough reboot, Audi is trying again this year with the R15+ TDI. The heavily revised R15+ has been testing for two months and this weekend it is competing for the first time at Le Castellet in France for the first round of the Le Mans Series. In qualifying the Audi managed to get onto the front row alongside the first privately run Peugeot 908 fielded by Team Oreca. Follow the jump to find out what happened in the eight-hour race.

Gallery: Audi R15+ TDI at Le Castellet

[Sources: Audi, Le Mans Series]

Continue reading Spoiler Alert: Audi's new R15+ racer comes out storming

Spoiler Alert: Audi's new R15+ racer comes out storming originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2009: Audi A3 TDI named 2010 Green Car of the Year in diesel repeat

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:41:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hatchback, Audi, Diesel

Audi A3 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

At the LA Auto Show this morning, the Audi A3 TDI was crowned the 2010 Green Car of the Year, wresting the title away from last year's winner, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Even though three hybrids made this year's list of finalists, the A3's win marks the second year in a row that a TDI diesel car took top honors in the Green Car Journal competition.

The judges selection kind of meshes with AutoblogGreen readers, who overwhelmingly picked the VW Golf TDI from the list of five finalists. The other contenders were the Honda Insight, the Mercury Milan Hybrid (we still don't get why this car beat out the better-selling and nearly identical Ford Fusion Hybrid) and the Toyota Prius.

Each year, Green Car Journal picks the five finalists and then hands over selection duties to celebrity jurors (Jay Leno, Carroll Shelby, and the Sierra Club's Carl Pope, to name a few). During the award ceremony, Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan said that the five finalists are notable because they are all mainstream vehicles that are available today. They exist because that's what the market is asking for. Whaddya think? Is the A3 TDI this year's rightful Green Car of the Year?

Gallery: Audi A3 TDI - 2010 Green Car of the Year

[Source: Green Car Journal]

Continue reading LA 2009: Audi A3 TDI named 2010 Green Car of the Year in diesel repeat

LA 2009: Audi A3 TDI named 2010 Green Car of the Year in diesel repeat originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All Grown Up: Audi celebrates 20th birthday of TDI

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:31:00 EST

Audi A3 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

As Audi begins to roll out the A3 TDI to its U.S. dealers in the coming weeks and the diesel version of the Q7 takes an ever larger share of sales, it's time to celebrate. This Fall marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the first ever TDI engine. TDI, for the uninitiated, stands for turbocharged-direct-injection, and refers to modern diesel engines from the Volkswagen group. Today's TDI technology has evolved from the 20 year-old 2.5-liter five-cylinder in the Audi 100.

Back then, the first TDI engines retained distributor type injector pumps, although the fuel was sprayed directly into the combustion chambers rather than a pre-chamber. Later, the company used something called Pumpe Düse - pump-injectors - for fuel delivery. This design integrated the high pressure pump and injector for each cylinder. These days, TDI uses common rail injection where a single pump pressurizes a single fuel rail that feeds all of the injectors. Regardless of the injector type, TDI has gone a long way towards improving the power output and reducing emissions of diesel engines. Audi and Volkswagen have built over five million TDI powerplants and remain committed to the technology. Congratulations on the double-decade milestone, guys.

Gallery: Review: Audi A3 TDI

Continue reading All Grown Up: Audi celebrates 20th birthday of TDI

All Grown Up: Audi celebrates 20th birthday of TDI originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Audi of America president de Nysschen calls Chevy Volt "a car for idiots," slams electric vehicles

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Audi, Electric, Diesel

Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen is a big fan of diesels (no surprise), and during a recent chat with veteran auto journo Lawrence Ulrich, de Nysschen imparted a few choice morsels on the pitfalls of electric cars, with an extra helping of wrath aimed at the Chevrolet Volt.

To start, he said the Volt is "a car for idiots." Adding that they're too expensive and, "No one is going to pay a $15,000 premium for a car that competes with a (Toyota) Corolla. So there are not enough idiots who will buy it." He predicted that the Volt will fall flat, which will cause the federal government to step in and subsidize the Volt in order to save face and boost sales.

And what about pure electric vehicles? According to de Nysschen, "they're for the intellectual elite who want to show what enlightened souls they are." Maybe de Nysschen should check with the corporate mothership on that last point, considering Audi's set to unveil its own EV concept this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Whoops.

[Source: MSN Exhaust Notes | Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading REPORT: Audi of America president de Nysschen calls Chevy Volt "a car for idiots," slams electric vehicles

REPORT: Audi of America president de Nysschen calls Chevy Volt "a car for idiots," slams electric vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Audi Q7 TDI priced at $50,900

Michael Harley — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Audi

2009 Audi Q7 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

Touted as the world's cleanest diesel SUV, Audi has announced pricing on its 2009 Audi Q7 TDI will start at $50,900 (plus $825 for destination charges). Dropped under the hood of the 50-state model is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 diesel that is rated at 221 horsepower. While that may sound a bit low for a seven-passenger SUV, the oil-burner pumps out 406 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to move 6,600 pounds of trailer, says Audi. According to the EPA, the Q7 TDI is rated at 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, giving it a theoretical 600-mile range on a road trip. The Q7 TDI is set to arrive in U.S. dealerships later this month. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Audi Q7 3.0 TDI

Continue reading 2009 Audi Q7 TDI priced at $50,900

2009 Audi Q7 TDI priced at $50,900 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Next Bentley Arnage to feature Audi turbo-diesel

Noah Joseph — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Green, Audi, Bentley, Rumormill

Bentley Arnage Final Series - Click above for high-res gallery

Bentley has long been rumored to be considering the use of diesel engines. The torquey oil-burners would enable Crewe to continue offering the kind of freight-train muscle for which it has become known while living up to the mandate of offering improved fuel economy, and, with the latest developments in particulate filter technology, reduce carbon emissions, as well. The company's marriage to Audi, which has carved out a nice niche for itself in diesel propulsion, seems to be a match made in motor heaven, and now reports suggest that, at long last, the marriage is set to be consummated with the next Arnage sedan.

According to the latest output from the ever-churning rumor-mill, the replacement for the aging Arnage will employ a version of the V12 turbo-diesel used in the current Audi Q7 TDI. With 500 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, the twelve-cylinder oil-burner would prove an ideal power-plant for the big saloon, and could get an even higher output version to join the half-century-old 6 ¾-liter V8 found in 530-horsepower trim in the current Brooklands, all while Bentley continues to toy with ethanol-burning variants of its W12 as previewed in the Continental Supersports show car unveiled just days ago at the Geneva Motor Show and Her Majesty's State Limousine.

Gallery: Bentley Arnage Final Series

[Source: 4wheelsnews]

REPORT: Next Bentley Arnage to feature Audi turbo-diesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Again, Off Again: Winterkorn suggests Bentley diesel

Noah Joseph — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Bentley

Bentleys are known, among other things, for their train-like torque delivery. But while Bentley has toyed with the idea of an oil-burning engine for its big saloons, the idea was ultimately rejected by the luxury automaker due to low market interest. However, Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Bentley's parent Volkswagen Group, has now suggested that diesel engines could make it under the Flying B bonnet after all.

Although previous reports placed one of the group's big V10 or V12 turbodiesels in a potential Bentley model, Winterkorn suggests something decidedly more compact. Namely, a twin-turbo version of the company's 3.0-liter TDI V6, currently under development for sister-company Audi's range-topping new A8. That may be a far cry from the Jurassic-era 6.75-liter V8 pictured above and currently found in the Arnage/Azure/Brooklands or the twin-turbo W12 in the Continental range, but Winterkorn appears more eager to lead the market than follow it.

[Source: AutoCar via AutoblogGreen]

On Again, Off Again: Winterkorn suggests Bentley diesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi hitting the road in cross-country diesel Mileage Marathon

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Audi, Event Alert

Click for a high res gallery of the mileage marathon vehicles

It's been a few years since Audi sold diesel-powered cars in the U.S., but that's about to change. After three years of showing what diesel is capable of at Le Mans and in the ALMS, Audi will introduce a diesel-powered Q7 TDI sometime in early 2009. Before that happens, Audi wants to show America what kind of mileage its diesel lineup gets in the real world. To do so, the German automaker has assembled a fleet of 23 vehicles including the coming Q7, the Q5, A4 and A3. Currently the Q7 is the only Audi diesel announced for the U.S. although the company has acknowledged that it's considering other models. A motley collection (aren't all groupings of journalists motley?) of 184 journalists and guests from around the world have been invited to drive the fleet across the continent from New York to Los Angeles in four legs with the goal of seeing who can get the best real world mileage. Among that collection will be several members of the Autoblog and AutoblogGreen teams, including yours truly. The Mileage Marathon kicks off on Oct. 6 in Manhattan and hits the city of angels two weeks later. We'll bring you live reports from the road as we wind across the country, so stay tuned.

Gallery: Audi Mileage Marathon

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi hitting the road in cross-country diesel Mileage Marathon

Audi hitting the road in cross-country diesel Mileage Marathon originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diesel's on our doorstep: Audi lays out TDI intitiative for the U.S.

Chris Shunk — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:55:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Green, Crossover, Audi

While Japanese automakers have the hybrid lead, the front-runners in diesel are companies of German descent. Mercedes is bringing home the bacon with BLUETEC, BMW is slapping twin turbochargers onto a 3.0-liter diesel, and Volkswagen will implement BlueMotion into five different VWs. Audi intends to join the oil-burning club here in the States with the introduction of the 3.0 TDI, which is good for 240 HP and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. With all that twist, tires should scream from rubber-stripping takeoffs, but even aggressive driving won't translate at the pump as bad as their gasoline counterparts. Audi expects a 35-percent fuel economy bump vs. similar gasoline powerplants.

The 3.0 TDI has an ultra-low emission system in the exhaust tract, which kills NOX gas by means of a carbonic acid diamide solution, helping the diesel to meet the LEV II Bin 5 classification. That means each of the 50 states will accept the 3.0 TDI as a salable vehicle. It's hard not to get excited about an engine that takes off like it's shot out of a canon and also gets up to 40 MPG on the highway. Expect the new Audi diesel to arrive first in the Q7, and later in the A4.

Audi's press release is after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Diesel's on our doorstep: Audi lays out TDI intitiative for the U.S.

Diesel's on our doorstep: Audi lays out TDI intitiative for the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Q7 hybrid and diesels to arrive next year

Dan Roth — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Green, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen

Audi's first diesel and hybrid powertrains in the US will be launched in the Q7 next year. The power units will likely trickle down to other vehicles in Audi's range, but they're not yet offering up any details on how prolific this hardware will be. Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have been working collaboratively to develop the parallel hybrid system, which makes the choice of the Q7 logical, as all three brands share a flavor of the architecture. Hybrid Q7s will be able to power around on the electric motor up to 31 mph, and the system will also shut down the engine during cruise conditions at speeds up to 75 mph. The total weight of the system adds 300 pounds, most of which is in the 288-volt NiMH battery pack.

The modular hybrid system will be easy to integrate with different powertrains once Audi starts propagating the system throughout the rest of their models, and terming it "modular" denotes that the basic pieces will be very adaptable. When Porsche and Volkswagen get their versions of the hybrid gear, we'd expect the engines to differ from the Q7's 3.6 liter 280 horsepower unit. Audi's claiming a 23 percent mileage improvement versus the conventional Q-ship. As for the oil burner, it will be a 3-liter V6 that is 50-state compliant while quietly thumping out 230 horsepower and 400 ft-lb of torque. Diesel torque delivery can be often be described as "electric-motor like," but we wonder if the Hybrid, with its actual electric motors, will laugh at the diesel's effort as it gets the hole shot.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

Audi Q7 hybrid and diesels to arrive next year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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