Audi has added a pair of new 1.6-liter TDI diesel engines to its home market A3 lineup with fuel economy up to 57.4 mpg (U.S.) on the EU combined driving cycle. The engines are available in 90 hp and 105 hp forms with both of them getting new common rail injection systems. The lower power engine gets a fuel economy rating of 52.3 mpg (U.S.) and drives the A3 to 62 mph in a sedate 12.9 seconds with CO₂ emissions of 118 g/km.

For the 105 hp version, Audi also includes an automatic start/stop system and brake energy regeneration. The latter function uses a smart alternator that loads up during deceleration and coasting to add to the engine braking and charge the battery. Under other conditions the alternator load is reduced and electrical systems in the car are driven off the battery. This variant achieves 57.4 mpg (U.S.) and CO₂ emissions of just 109 g/km. Both engines are available in Euro A3s this month although we won't get them in the U.S. American buyers will have to make do with the 2.0 TDI late this year.

• Related: Review: 2010 Audi A3 TDI, diesel with a healthy dash of sport

Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Last summer, Volkswagen introduced the world to its new TwinDrive hybrid technology, which paired an electric motor connected to the rear wheels with a small turbodiesel engine that powered the front wheels. The all-wheel drive hybrid powertrain is currently being tested in VW's latest Golf model, and a new report from Autocar in the UK suggests that Audi is working on installing the fuel-saving bits in its next-gen A3 as well, with the goal of getting the car in fleet use by 2012.

The internal combustion engine portion of the drivetrain will consist of a 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which will power the front wheels only while a 30kW electric motor will feed electrons provided by a 12 kWh lithium ion battery pack to the rear wheels. The car will feature plug-in capability, naturally, and a full charge will reportedly allow for an EV-only range of 31 miles. All told, average fuel consumption is pegged at over 113 miles per gallon equivalent, though that's likely on the EU combined cycle and can't be directly compared with U.S. EPA figures.


[Source: Autocar]

It makes pretty good sense for Audi to launch a diesel version of its A3 compact hatch here in the States. Since it uses the same platform as the Rabbit and Jetta, the 2.0L TDI is a sure-fire fit behind the A3's huge front grille. In fact, we've driven the A3 with that exact engine a few times already, notably while we were participating in the Audi Mileage Marathon a few weeks ago. Volkswagen has already certified its 140 horsepower oil-burner for sale here in the United States, so that's one more gigantic and expensive hurdle that wouldn't need to be crossed. Popular Mechanics recently sat down with officials from the German automaker and Audi's head of powertrain development Wolfganag Hatz confirmed that an unspecified Auti automobile would join the Q7 on our shores equipped with a diesel engine as early as next Spring. Sounds good to us.


[Source: Popular Mechanics]

I'd like to say we had our winning technique down from day one. But the truth is, my partner (Don Buffamanti of Autospies) and I didn't exactly have spectacular results on the first two drives. This is because a.) he's kind of a leadfoot and b.) he drove quickly on my behalf on day two because I was feeling seriously under the weather. Luckily for us, the other A3 we were competing against, driven by Lauren Fix and Royal Ford, happened upon some serious technical difficulties that gave us the edge, despite a faulty navigation system that led us for 20 miles on a dirt road (above, also here and here). I should note that the technical difficulties were not at all lucky for Fix and Ford, but they had a good attitude about the whole thing by the time dinner rolled around.

In any case, our numbers were 42.2 mpg and 56 mph for day two and 43.2 mpg and 54.9 overall (official numbers were not given for day three but the dashboard display showed 46.4 mpg when we got to Las Vegas - and that's including the 20 miles we spent on that dirt road; we were up around 48 before that little incident).

In the other vehicle classes, the winning numbers were solid for Wave Three:

• Q5: 36.8 mpg / 52.8 mph
• Q7: 29.5 mpg / 52.4 mph
• A4: 36.7 mpg / 49.3 mph (the best mpg rating was 37.7, but this team had a lower average speed and thus did not win the leg)

That's two for three for the Autoblog/AutoblogGreen crew. Let's see how the rest of our team drive on the way to California.

Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

click the Mileage Marathon vehicles for a high res gallery

Audi has announced plans to demonstrate the fuel efficiency of its new diesel vehicles by running a cross-country marathon this fall. The automaker is providing 23 TDI vehicles that will be driven by up to 184 drivers from around the world, including some of the crew from AutoblogGreen and Autoblog. The vehicles will include the Q7, Q5 and A4 with the 3.0L TDI V6 and the A3 with the same 2.0L four cylinder TDI used in the new Jetta. The Marathon will kick off October 6 in New York City and wind its way to Los Angeles via Chicago, Denver and Monterey. The drivers will all be trying to outdo each other to earn daily rewards for lowest fuel consumption.

For now, Audi has only announced that the Q7 will be offered for sale in the U.S. starting sometime in the first quarter of 2009. It will be equipped with a particulate filter and urea injection system allowing it to pass Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions in all 50 states. Audi is considering other diesels for U.S. sale but hasn't made any decisions or announcements yet. The Q5 which was announced last spring at the Beijing Motor Show will go on sale in the U.S. with a gasoline V6 next summer and makes its debut on U.S. soil during the Marathon. A hybrid Q5 is expected to go on sale as early as 2010 and it could be joined by a diesel for the U.S. market.


[Source: Audi]

With Volkswagen having just debuted the Jetta TDI in the U.S. market, the question is what comes next? Volkswagen and Audi have already announced plans to launch diesel versions of the Touareg and Q7 early in 2009 with a 3.0L V6. The compact Audi A3 shares a platform with the Volkswagen Rabbit/Golf and Jetta and in Europe it's available with the same 2.0L diesel that's in the Jetta. Fourtitude reports that Audi North America is considering adding the TDI powerplant to the A3. The European A3 offers the 170 hp version of the 2.0L but if it does get offered here it would likely be only with the same 140 hp unit offered in the Jetta. This way Audi would not have to certify another engine. Audi officials, of course, will not comment on such speculation, but if it does happen it likely wouldn't be before 2010. Most likely, Audi will be watching how the already-announced diesels fare in the U.S. market before making a final decision.

[Source: Fourtitude]

While Audi's exhaustive press release accompanying the launch of the newly-revised-for-2009 A3 mentioned both the availability of new diesel engines along with a seven-speed version of the dual-clutch S tronic transmission, Audi's arm in the UK has decided it's worth mentioning them again. This time, though, statistics regarding the reduction of carbon emissions are given, so decided we'd share them too. For instance, the revised '09 2.0 TDI with 140 horsepower, which was rated at 52.3mpg (US) last year, jumps to 55.4mpg, while reducing CO₂ output from 143g/km to 134g/km. Audi also points out that the new 105 horse 1.9 TDI e offers a low CO₂ output of 119g/km while gaining standard manual air conditioning. The e series from Audi, like the Bluemotion models from VW, are designed specifically with low carbon emissions in mind. Too bad the 1.9 TDI e engine comes paired with a five-speed manual only, as the mileage would likely increase with the addition of the seven-speed S tronic. See all of the available powertrain combinations in the press release after the break.

We'll relay the information in this article on Auto 123 in the ever-popular backwards-first method of news reporting. That article ends this way: "Further down the road, as oil reserves become exhausted, bigger and better solutions will be needed." While that may seem obvious, another point worth pondering is this: why wait until then?

In an effort to stave off the impending exhaustion of our oil reserves, Audi is testing and marketing a few alternatives to the gasoline engine. While still relying on some fossil fuels for power, the E85-capable A5 coupe (the red one above) uses far less crude oil than the standard 2.0 four-cylinder would. Of course, ethanol raises other environmental issues which we'll save for other posts. Audi also has A5 models powered by CNG. Then there are the obligatory hybrid models that will be made available by Audi shortly in the form of the Q7 and its 3.6-liter V6 coupled to an electric motor. Of course, Audi is rightly proud of their class and Le Mans leading diesel technology. Although dealyed, these vehicles are likely to be sold in the U.S. in addition to Europe.

Lastly, in the "one of these things is not like the other" category, Audi is showing off some alternatives to the... uh, alternatives mentioned above: monitoring driving habits. The writers at Auto 123 were not so sure that this technology would be accepted in the marketplace, and they may be right. But, we are sure that there are a certain number of drivers who would welcome a little training on how to eke the most miles from a gallon of fuel as possible. Bring it on, Audi!

[Source: Auto 123]

I suppose you could argue that any car that will be exempt from the recently proposed London congestion charge has, for people who drive regularly in the city, a big minus sign under the price tag. The number following that minus sign differs depending on the way the car will be used, but that there is an effective discount for these cars is not escaping automakers. The latest example comes from Audi, which is making it clear that the new A3 will be exempt from the updated congestion charges should they go into effect. The exempt, green version of the A3 emits 119g/km of CO2 from a 1.9 TDI and gets 62.7mpg (combined). Not bad for a large hatchback, don't you think?

This A3 was designed specifically to break through the 120 g/km of CO2 limit in the proposed changes and is more economical than the 1.4L TFSI A3 that was introduced earlier this year (proof that greener legislation works). Audi engineers used reduced rolling resistance tires and a modified 105PS diesel with friction-minimizing components and a manual gearbox that offers the driver a dashboard indicator about when to make the most economical gear shifts. Audi says these changes will drift into future models.

Starting in October, Audi will offer three- and five-door versions of the A3, starting at £16,660 OTR. Read more after the jump. If you're in London, check with the dealer to gauge what your personal minus sign might be.

Related:

• Audi adds the 1.4L TFSI engine to the A3 lineup
• Audi offers economical new A3 and A4 models

[Source: Audi]