World of Automobile: Diesel

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

2012 Audi A6 Avant First Drive: A Reminder Why Diesel Wagons are So Popular in Europe

2012 Audi A6 Avant First Drive – Review – Car and Driver #pallet {margin:0;}#echoice li.category {margin:0;}Car and DriverIntelligence. Independence. Irreverence. VehiclesReviewsNewsFeaturesBuyer's GuideFollow UsSubscribeSearch Car and DriverHome › Reviews › 2012 Audi A6 Avant TDI Diesel - First Drive Review

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2012 Audi A6 Avant TDI Diesel - First Drive ReviewWe get behind the wheel of Europe’s favorite A6—and are reminded why it’s so popular.BY JENS MEINERS
July 2011

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2012 Audi A6 Avant TDI Diesel

Photos (24)Visit Our Buyer's Guide »Audi A6› Overview› Specifications› Price with Options› Photos & 360° View› Get a Free QuoteNews & Reviews2012 Audi A6 Avant - Car News2012 Audi A6 3.0 TDI - First Drive Review2012 Audi A6 - First Drive Review2012 Audi A6 - Official Photos and Info2012 Audi A6 Spy Photos - Future Cars2012 Audi A6 Rendered - Car News2009 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro - Short Take Road Test2009 Audi A6 - First Drive Review2009 Audi A6 Sedan / A6 Avant / S6 Sedan / RS6 Sedan - Car News

Redesigned for 2012, Audi's A6 lineup is halfway back to full strength with the introduction of the Avant station wagon. The high-powered S6 and RS6 versions still are waiting in the wings—as is a hybrid model designed mostly with our market in mind, even if U.S. availability is as-yet unconfirmed—but already this is an impressive family of vehicles. In Europe, though, where a diesel-powered station wagon is the stereotypical executive car, the Avant is the most critical of all A6s.

Audi just made the executive-wagon segment a lot more interesting, with a twin-turbocharged variation of its 3.0-liter TDI turning out 313 hp and an even more impressive 479 lb-ft of torque. Not only is it a powerful mill, but this diesel has attitude. Many oil-burners are impressive in their power delivery and massive torque, but lack soul. The 3.0-liter TDI, on the other hand, fires up with an impressive growl, and the sound gets better as you push it through the gears. Its voice is reminiscent of an old-fashioned V-8’s, a sound that is clearly audible inside and out. Think we’re crazy? Just wait until you hear how Audi did it: The company stuffed an extremely durable speaker into the exhaust system that allows it to alter the engine note. It can even be adjusted on the move.

Going Right to Ludicrous Speed

Driving the A6 Avant is even better than listening to it. The all-wheel-drive chassis copes well with the TDI's grunt. The rear differential distributes the power for maximum agility, and it takes a heavy misstep to throw the Avant off course. The car should need just 5.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. Top speed is a governed 155 mph, a speed the Avant reaches with ease. On unlimited stretches of autobahn, the twin-turbo TDI’s sheer grunt at velocities of 130 mph and above is remarkable.

Its torque is so massive that it surpassed the capacity of Audi’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the company had to install an eight-speed torque-converter automatic from ZF. There are three other diesel options in this car—a 177-hp 2.0-liter four and two single-turbo versions of the 3.0-liter V-6 making 204 and 245 hp—but the twin-turbo V-6 is clearly the bad boy of the lineup. Even the most powerful gasoline engine Audi offers, the familiar supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, lacks the brute force of the top TDI. Better yet, the beastly diesel returns 37 mpg on the (hopelessly optimistic) European combined cycle.

Stylistically, the Avant conversion works well on the A6, but it doesn't transform a conservative sedan design into a head-turner. While the previous-generation A6 Avant sported a markedly different rear end, this Avant looks almost identical to the sedan except for the elongated roofline. Even the overbite of the taillights remains. Additionally, the A6 Avant offers virtually all of the sedan's technological features, including a roster of assistance systems that borders on ridiculous, plus WiFi and Google-based telematics, as well as countless options for personalization.

Let Me Get That For You. And That. And That

Of course, the biggest difference between the sedan and the Avant is cargo capacity. There are a lot of practical options, such as a power cargo cover and a power hatch that opens when you wave your foot below the rear bumper—the latter particularly convenient when you have your hands full of groceries and don't want to reach for the trunk latch.

The A6 Avant’s success in Europe is almost assured, but the car is very unlikely to come to the U.S. Audi would like its dealers to instead focus on the A6 sedan and the Q5. Unless station wagons in general experience a sudden and unexpected rebound here, we won't be seeing the Avant on our lots. And while Audi is planning to offer the A6 sedan here with a diesel V-6, it will most likely be a front-wheel-drive single-turbo version with something closer to 250 hp. Pity.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $58,000

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 181 cu in, 2967 cc
Power (SAE net): 313 hp @ 4250 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 479 lb-ft @ 1450 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 114.7 in Length: 193.5 in
Width: 73.8 in Height: 57.5 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 4500 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 5.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.6 sec
Top speed (governed): 155 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
European combined cycle: 37 mpg

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

2012 Volkswagen Passat Priced from $20,765; TDI Diesel Starts at $26,765

Volkswagen has released pricing for its all-new 2012 Passat, and the new mid-sizer will start at $20,765—or, as the ads will say over and over again, $19,995 before destination.

For their 20-ish grand, shoppers will get the base Passat S, powered by the familiar 170-hp, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Oh, and 16-inch steel wheels. Beyond ye-olde inline-five, the Passat S is surprisingly well-equipped. It comes standard with dual-zone automatic climate control, power windows and locks, Bluetooth connectivity, and steering-wheel audio controls.

Of course, this Passat was designed specifically for the U.S. market, and most shoppers here in the land of the free will opt to liberate their left feet. The cheapest Passat with an automatic transmission is $23,460—yeah, that’s an increase of about $2700—although in addition to the six-speed slushbox, it does add a set of 16-inch aluminum rims and a rear-seat armrest. Scintillating.

From there, Passat shoppers can spend increasing sums of money for Passats powered by the same 2.5-liter engine, but packing more toys like a sunroof, navigation system, heated leatherette or leather seats, an upscale Fender-branded stereo (made by Panasonic), wood-like interior trim, keyless go, and Darth Vader’s remote start. A fully loaded Passat SEL 2.5 with all the kit is listed at $30,665.

The Passat TDI, which has VW’s outstanding 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel, making 140 hp and 236 lb-ft, starts at $26,765. At that price, buyers get a six-speed manual, 17-inch wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, some nicer-looking interior trim, and leatherette seats (one of which, if your name is “the driver,” is heated and power-adjustable). Want an auto with your diesel? The six-speed dual-clutch automatic comes with a mandatory sunroof; the bill will be $28,665, please. More options are available for, you guessed it, even more money.

High rollers and front-tire shredders take note: The top-of-the-line Passat features the company’s 3.6-liter V-6, making 280 hp in this installation. When many automakers are eschewing six-cylinder engines in this segment—Chevy’s new Malibu, and Hyundai’s Sonata both offer turbocharged fours instead—it strikes us as odd that VW would bring back the V-6 option for its Passat. (The last-gen Passat, which was considerably more expensive than this 2012 model, offered the 3.6, but slow sales led the company to drop it a few years ago.) Entry to the V-6 Passat starts at $29,765, and includes a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, leatherette seating that’s heated up front, a sunroof, the Fender stereo, and some nicer interior trim bits. Ordering navigation tacks on $1600. A full-fat Passat 3.6 demands $33,720, and includes every option you’ve seen listed above.

All Passats also include three years/36,000 miles of scheduled maintenance. The 2012 Passat should arrive in dealers this fall. To pass the time, check out our first-drive review of VW’s new suburban cruiser.

View the original article here

Friday, June 3, 2011

Scoop: Audi S6 and S7 to Offer Diesel Option – Car News

May 13, 2011 at 2:58pm by Jens Meiners

2012 Audi S6 (spy photo)

For the first time ever, Audi’s sporty sub-brand will include oil burners.

It’s easy to be impressed by diesels—but it can be hard to fall in love with them. The awesome torque and impressive efficiency combine to allow drivers to burn tires and miles with ease. But love? This requires something more. No diesel we’ve driven so far has the distinct character of a high-performance gasoline engine, although BMW’s 335d comes close. But they ultimately lack delicate response, they can’t be revved to lofty heights, and their sound will never entice across the spectrum like a thoroughbred gas mill.

Keep Reading: Scoop: Audi S6 and S7 to Offer Diesel Option – Car News

Tags: Audi, Audi S6, Audi S7, diesel, German, sedan, sports sedan |

View the original article here

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Volkswagen Likely To Add Diesel Tiguan in the U.S.

April 22, 2011 at 2:00pm by Justin Berkowitz

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen is thrilled that between 20 and 25 percent of its total vehicles sold in the U.S. are sold with diesel engines, but the company is hungry for more. An executive has told us that the company would be eager to expand the number of models it offers here with a diesel option. As it stands, the Passat, Jetta, new Beetle, Touareg, and Golf offer a TDI on the options sheet, leaving only the Eos and Tiguan as the gasoline-only holdouts. Let’s face it: While Europeans get a diesel Eos, it’s not gonna happen here, so by our unrivaled skills of deduction, that leaves the Tiguan. And it’s a great match for VW’s 2.0-liter TDI engine, which makes 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque in its current Yankee applications.

The company hasn’t given a timeline for a Tiguan TDI—and in fact, it hasn’t even officially promised that such a car will come to the U.S.—but we’d imagine it’ll be at least a year. The Tiguan is just now receiving a cosmetic face lift, so if VeeDub passed on this opportunity to install a diesel, it’s probably going to be some time still.

Tags: diesel, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Tiguan |

View the original article here