We don't know when the Q7 V12 TDI might go on sale anywhere in the world, but Audi has stated that Americans can expect to see the Q7 with a 233 HP V6 turbodiesel sometime in mid-2008, with "other models" following afterwards.
The vehicle will be legal for sale in all 50 states due to its use of Bluetec emissions control technology, and specifically the selective catalyst reduction (SCR) system that employs AdBlue urea to control oxides of nitrogen. There are no solid numbers yet on fuel economy, but Audi claims a 20-25% improvement over standard gasoline engines. The automaker also claims that such an engine will perhaps not be as affected by the newly revised EPA fuel economy test procedure.
No word yet on pricing, and with all the factors potentially at play, we're not willing to even wager a guess at this point.
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Audi refers to its new V12 TDI turbodiesel as "majestic", but somehow, that word fails to adequately describe the company's latest oilburner. Grammy-winning singer Seal was on hand to belt out his hit "Crazy", and that term more accurately describes a 6L diesel that makes 500 HP and 737 lb-ft of the twisty stuff (that latter number is maintained in the useful range of 1800- 3000 RPM). This is accomplished via a pair of variable-vane turbochargers that apply 1.6 bar (24 PSI) of squeeze to the intercooled intake charge, and a direct injection system which employs piezoelectric injectors to spray fuel - including multiple pre- and post-combustion events - at a mind-boggling 2000 bar (30,000 PSI). A compression ratio of 16:1 and heavy use of exhaust gas circulation also help keep down the emissions, which meet the 2010 Euro-5 standard.
All that power is fed to an all-wheel-drive system that maintains a 40:60 front-rear balance to maintain what Audi refers to as "slightly tail-heavy, sporty handling characteristics. To slow nearly three tons of mass moving at superlegal velocities, a set of monstrous disc brakes are fitted (the diameter is unspecified, but the fronts appear to be somewhere north of 15"). The concept also carries an interior trimmed in impractical white leather and light-colored carbon fiber.
No word as to when it might be produced, which is just as well since we won't be able to afford it.
The press release is posted after the jump, and we've placed photos (live and stock) here.
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This little number caught us off gaurd when one of our sources directed us to the VWVortex.com forums. Audi already unveiled the Q7 V12 TDI back in September at the Paris Motor Show. We were in awe of the engine that doesn't have to trace its root far back before it runs right into the same V12 diesel that powers the R10 Le Mans racer. This angelic-looking Q7 has the same V12, according to the forum poster, and it produces the same 500 horsepower and 738 ft-lbs. of glorious torque.
Perhaps Audi wanted to dress up the Q7 V12 TDI for its debut in North America, because from what we know this vehicle is Detroit-bound. There are a few changes to the vehicle that set it apart from the one we saw debut in Paris, including a front end with more LEDs around the headlights and a slightly modified lowe air intake. Out back the reverse lights have been relocated from the stop lamps into their own strip along the bumper that was previously housing reflectors. The center stop lamp housed beneath the rear spoiler is now also a string of red LEDs. The faux-diffuser in the lower bumper is slightly different, and finally the pair of exhaust tips embedded in the rear skirt are now ovular. The white paint job is new (and nice), but the wheels, oddly enough, are the same as the one's we saw in Paris.
The interior of this mild concept has also been cleaned up with the creamiest-looking leather applied to every visible surface, new gauges (220 mph!), and a new center information display that now both color and sporting a higher resolution. If you check out our gallery of high-resolution pics, you'll notice the center information display is showing a g-meter.
We have no information on this Q7 V12 TDI concept other than the few words accompanying it in the forum we found it. Audi has said nothing official about it, so its attendance in Detroit is not guaranteed. However, if it were to arrive stateside, its presence at the Detroit show would certainly fuel our hope that Audi's thinking about selling the Q7 V12 TDI here in addition to Europe. We'll find out soon enough.
Part of the consortium of German auto manufacturers developing the Bluetec diesel technology, Volkswagen just announced that its new TDI will the cleanest diesel on the planet. To be used in the 2008 VW Jetta (and other smaller VWs), the new 2.0 liter common rail diesel engine differs from the urea injection systems used in other Bluetec vehicles, in that a nitrogen oxide reservoir in the catalytic converter is used to help it meet even Californian's most stringent emission standards, the Tier 2 / Bin 5 levels. A filter of sorts in the catalytic converter absorbs NOx like a sponge and constantly cleans itself by alternating modes for a few seconds periodically. We're told to expect this VeeDub to achieve a 90% reduction in NOx levels. Pretty impressive. Curiously, however, there's no mention of either projected fuel economy or power figures.
For larger cars, like the Passat, VW will use the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalytic converter. That's the one with the piss urea tank. The urea is sprayed through a mesh screen into the exhaust system. When it mixes with the hot exhaust gases it turns into ammonia, which breaks the NOx down into nitrogen and water. The goal is to make the tank large enough to last for one service cycle, at which point the service tech will refill it.
Check out the press release in full after the jump.
Those of you who've been threatening to pick up a new diesel-powered Jetta at your local VW outlet better get on point soon, as the last of the 2006 models are either hitting, or about to hit, dealers in the coming weeks. When the last Jetta TDI rolls off the lot, we won't see another until the spring of 2008.
The yearlong wait is due to the testing and development of VW's new 2-liter, common-rail, high-pressure, fuel-injection setup, which will be available in all 50 states. Until then, the only diesel-powered consumer vehicle will be the Mercedes-Benz E320 diesel lovers in the U.S. will have to drop the coin on the Toureg V10 TDI or the Mercedes-Benz E320, ML 320, GL 320 and R 320.
Although Volkswagen doesn't have a breakdown of how many Jettas come equipped with an oil-burner, most dealers claim that about a quarter of all Jettas sold are of the TDI variety. With an EPA rating of 34/45, that's no surprise, even with the recent decline in gas prices.
When the new Jetta diesel arrives at dealers in 2008, expect a price premium of about $1,000 over its petrol-powered counterpart.
One thing we dig about Audi is the mantle they've assumed as the pioneers in diesel power. Most specifically, making diesels that knock the socks off gasoline engines, and shattering conventional wisdom in the process. As if dominating endurance sports car racing wasn't enough, Audi announced they'd be competing with bio-diesel next year, as we reported earlier. Still not enough? Following the launch of the highly anticipated R8 supercar, Audi revealed they'd be shoehorning a diesel in there, too. Still not enough? The latest reports indicate that the diesel in question could very well be a V12, the same found in the Q7 sport-ute and the A8 luxury sedan. The six-liter unit pumps out that magic figure of 500 horsepower, and a stump-pullin', rip-roarin' 738 lb-ft of torque. Pending the arrival of the V10 derived from the R8's sister, the Lamborghini Gallardo, that would make the diesel the most powerful and quickest version of the R8 available, and a pioneer for diesel supercars.
It's far from confirmed that the V12 diesel will in the end be available in the R8. There are packaging issues to be dealt with, considering the V12 is significantly bigger than a V8 or V10 (no kidding), plus they'd have to fit the advanced filter system in there, too. But "senior board members" have revealed that Audi is hard at work on it, and if the hurdles can be jumped, we could see the R8 diesel on the road by 2009.
Matt Davis, the European Editor over at Winding Road, was able to get the low down on BMW's strategy to offer diesels here in the Land of the Brave.
During an event to give U.S. journos a taste of Bimmer's 335d Touring, equipped with a 3-liter bi-turbo diesel, the folks at Winding Road opined the fact that North American consumers would never be able to enjoy a BMW diesel stateside. That may all change when BMW announces their plans for diesels in the U.S., in addition to debuting the hydrogen-powered 7-series and new X5, at the L.A. Auto Show later this month. The soon-to-be-released oil burner in question is the 535d, which currently meets all manner of state and federal acronymed organizations, however, when 2009 rolls along and California enacts a 30-percent reduction in emissions, BMW will have to bust hump to make their diesels as clean as can be.
This move is due in no small part to their cross-town rival, Mercedes-Benz, beginning to offer the Bluetec line of diesels on U.S. soil and Audi's plans on introducing a new TDI engine at the Detroit Auto Show (sorry, NAIAS). However, just like MB, BMW will have to offer some form of urea injection, beyond what it currently employs.
The latest reports surfacing suggest that Audi's new supercar is scheduled for oiloplasty. That's right, the R8 is getting a diesel. Backing up these reports are earlier ones that suggested a Lamborghini Gallardo test mule (on which the R8 is based) with what sounded like a diesel was heard driving around Sant'Agata Bolognese.
Ingolstadt seems to be on a quest to dominate the world with diesel power. The R10 race car put Audi on the map as the first manufacturer to compete for overall victory at the 24 hours of Le Mans with a diesel – and the R10 has been cleaning house in competition ever since.
Audi has yet to confirm the reports, which suggest that the diesel in question will be a 6-liter V12 TDi twin-turbo-diesel with output over 500 horsepower – more than the current gasoline V8 produces – and even more impressive torque figures.
If the R8 does indeed get a high-performance diesel, Audi will cause us to continue questioning our assumptions about the performance of oil-burners.
At the Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen debuted an updated version of their popular Touareg sport-ute. Now they've given us this promotional video showing the new truck driving off-road.
As we reported earlier, the facelifted Touareg gets revised styling with freshened front and rear facias, including sharper lights and the chrome grille that's becoming a feature of brand identity for Volkswagen. There's also a revised interior with a new sound system, and electronic driving aids like enhanced anti-lock brakes and stability control systems. Best of all, the V10 diesel is making the transatlantic voyage for sale in the US.
The video gives a good look at the Touareg in its element, though, like most SUVs, it'll probably spend more time driving the kids from home to school to soccer practice and back. Oddly, the country-scene video is set to an urban techno beat, but it's a good glimpse at the VDub in action.
Those looking for a glimpse into the future of light-duty diesel reliability may be interested in a new study by J.D. Power on customer satisfaction with modern heavy truck powertrains. The 2006 Heavy Duty Truck Engine/Transmission Study ranked engines from the 2004 model year by quality, performance, cost of ownership, and warranty, and revealed what one would reasonably expect from new technology.
An average of 74 problems per 100 vehicles was reported, which represents a 60% increase in trouble over the prior year. This was attributed directly to the emission control systems that were phased in during 2003 and 2004. Fuel economy also declined from 6.04 MPG in the 2004 study to 5.72 MPG - a drop of over 5%. Ranked highest in the study was Caterpillar, and the company's ACERT technology allowed the C12 and C15 (pictured above) to lead the ratings of individual engines. Unfortunately, unless you hold a CDL, it's highly unlikely that either one of them will find their way into your personal fleet.
So, what does this mean for consumers of passenger vehicles? Just as we've experienced the evolution of emission controls on gasoline engines, problems can be expected as manufacturers roll out clean diesel technology. How long it will take to sort out these issues is not yet clear, but we're guessing that things get sorted out rather quickly, and indeed some of the problems that are currently affecting heavy trucks may very well be eliminated before it trickles down to smaller oilburners.
[Source: J.D. Power; the complete press release is posted below the jump]
Those looking for a glimpse into the future of light-duty diesel reliability may be interested in a new study by J.D. Power on customer satisfaction with modern heavy truck powertrains. The 2006 Heavy Duty Truck Engine/Transmission Study ranked engines from the 2004 model year by quality, performance, cost of ownership, and warranty, and revealed what one would reasonably expect from new technology. 
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