Audi expands use of diesel in U.S. lineup

Audi of America will begin offering 3.0-liter V6 diesel engines in the A8, A7 and A6 cars and the Q5 crossover beginning next year.

The four TDI diesel-equipped models will make their debuts next week at the Los Angeles auto show. Audi already offers a diesel powerplant in the Q7 crossover but the 2013 model features an updated engine. The A3 TDI has been dropped but will return with the launch of the redesigned A3 in early 2014.

Audi said the diesel models will have 30 percent improved fuel economy and lower carbon dioxide emissions than comparable gasoline engines.

"Owners of Audi TDI engines have helped save over 4 million gallons of gasoline, or the equivalent of more than 240,000 barrels of foreign oil, since the introduction of Audi TDI to the U.S. in 2009," Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America, said in a statement.

Audi plans to use social media, including Twitter and Facebook, to promote the expanded diesel-engine lineup.

The A8 diesel goes on sale this spring and the other three models will follow next fall.

The A8 TDI will have an estimated fuel economy rating of 24 mpg city/36 mpg highway.

The 2013 diesel Q7 went on sale in September and has a starting price of $52,895, including destination. The revised TDI clean diesel engine has an increased output of 15 hp to 240 hp, and torque remains the same at 406 lb-ft. It has an EPA mileage rating of 19 mpg city/28 mpg highway.

Pricing for the A8, A7, A6 and Q5 will be released closer to their showroom debuts. Technical information and mileage for those vehicles is not yet available.

By Diana T. Kurylko- Automotive News