Despite the Dieselgate saga, oil burners are still
being taken very seriously by the Volkswagen Group. In fact, they’re so serious
about them that they might launch new diesel-powered sporty cars, through the
Audi brand.
The information comes via Automobile Magazine, which
claims that the automaker is interested in launching diesel versions of the S5
Coupe, S5 Cabriolet and S5 Sportback. The French publication states that this
is part of Audi’s plans of lowering CO2 emissions across the range.
So, what’s the engine of choice here? If we were to
give credit to the report, then that would be the 3.0-liter V6 TDI with
mild-hybrid tech that powers the new SQ5 TDI. The mill is capable of pushing
out 347 PS and 700 Nm of torque. It comes with an
eight-speed tiptronic transmission, permanent Quattro all-wheel drive and an
electric powered compressor that debuted in the SQ7 TDI, which promises to get
rid of the turbo lag completely.
As we already know, the 3.0-liter petrol engine of
the outgoing S5 family is good for 354 PS and 500 Nm of torque, and is connected to an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox. Now, the report doesn’t say when
the alleged TDI-powered S5 models will hit the market, but Audi’s already
working on the facelifted A5, which is thought to debut in late 2019 or early
2020. This could mean the revamped S5 is perhaps 1-2 years away.
