2.0 TDI (240 PS) and 4.0 TDI: Audi and VW cancel power diesel

since For many years the diesel has tried to catch up with the gasoline engine. He wants to be just as strong and sporty, sound robust and drive fast. He’s not missing much in 2020. Still, it’s not enough. The sport disappears from the drive because spontaneity, strength and clean exhaust gases can hardly be combined with diesel.

The latest victims of this knowledge come from the VW Group. Two powerful engines will not make it into the coming year: VW and Audi will phase out the V8 TDI from Touareg, A8, SQ7 and SQ8 at the end of 2020. Skoda and VW no longer offer the powerful four-cylinder biturbo diesel from Kodiaq RS, Tiguan, Passat and Arteon. They are not clean enough for the future. There are deep causes behind this.

Diesel and motorsport

Diesels are often sensible and rarely exciting. The closed drives can do more. They deliver a lot of power, nail little and move their cars with ease. At Audi and Skoda, they drive sports versions of large SUVs. The Kodiaq RS even holds a record on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. Admittedly in a very special category (SUVs with seven seats) – but at least.

It is pointless to discuss the sportiness of diesel engines. They are not racing engines in the classic sense. No diesel engine will ever turn as high as an Italian V12 or bubble as nicely as an American V8. This is due to its construction.

Audi proves how fast a diesel can be with eight overall victories in the Le Mans 24h race. On an American salt lake, the cigar-shaped “Dieselmax” roars to a world record in 2006 at 563 km / h. The fact that diesel engines reach high speeds is not an issue. The only question that remains is whether you like the “how”.

For much of the world the answer is no. North America and Asia tolerate diesel in commercial vehicles and avoid it in passenger cars. Diesel developers design primarily for the European market. But since the diesel scandal over manipulated exhaust gas values, interest in the EU has been waning. Even in the diesel country of Germany, the diesel share has dropped from almost 50 percent (2014) to around a third (2018).

4.0 TDI: The V8 diesel is running out

With the 4.0 TDI, the last V8 king disappears, the six-cylinder bourgeoisie remains. There are no comparable engines, the competition only dares to have a displacement of three liters. Audi leads development and invents a filigree exhaust manifold that significantly improves the control of the turbocharger. An electric compressor eliminates the moment of thought. With a 48-volt electrical system, the engine is faster, more powerful, and more economical. What is standard today is still a sensation in 2016.

This effort was only worthwhile because the VW Group is planning the V8 TDI for a total of seven cars: In Porsche Panamera and Cayenne, Audi A8, SQ7 and SQ8, Bentley Bentayga and VW Touareg, it should be a good 400 PS strong and eight liter economical sales argument. But with the bad reputation of the drive type, two manufacturers are turning away completely from diesel.

Porsche and Bentley decide on a future without diesel, even before the engine arrives in the then new Cayenne. With fewer customers within the group, the willingness to continue investing in the engine is decreasing. Audi is still cleaning its exhaust gases in several updates: the V8 TDI initially only meets the Euro 6b standard, and finally Euro 6d-TEMP Evap. There is no money for further improvements.

From January 1, 2021, the Euro 6d emissions standard will apply to all new cars in Germany. The associated test cycle forces the engine into load ranges in which many pollutants are generated. The group would have to invest time and money again. Not worth it for the small amount of engines sold. VW is replacing the V8 TDI in the Touareg with a plug-in hybrid. Audi is now selling the SQ7 and SQ8 with gasoline engines, and the A8 is also a hybrid. Probably the best and definitely most interesting diesel in the company’s history is only available in used cars.

Diesel engines will continue to be used in the series. But they are not extraordinary: three liters in size, no 300 hp, much more sluggish and not nearly as interesting. The VW Group will probably never again develop as much independence as there is in the V8 TDI for a diesel. Especially not a V8 diesel. A clear sign: the diesel will in future concentrate on economy and endurance. It remains a useful engine for long haul journeys.

No biturbo diesel for Passat, Tiguan, Arteon and Kodiaq

The story of the most powerful four-cylinder TDI is different. VW is developing the twin-turbo diesel with 240 hp so that the Passat and Tiguan can keep up with larger-class cars. The selected competition offers six-cylinder diesel. Such engines do not fit in Passat, Tiguan and Arteon. That is why VW tunes the 2.0-liter diesel with a second turbo to its performance class. The engine compartment becomes so narrow that the entire engine has to be removed to change the particulate filter.

In 2016, its performance exceeded all other four-cylinder diesels. Even four years later, hardly anyone delivers any more power. VW keeps the engine to itself for a long time. Skoda was only allowed to use it in the Kodiaq at the end of 2018, but only with a sporty design. The Wolfsburg models remain the only ones to display its power in the regular engine range.

Actually, he should get a successor. While the engine is on the market, VW is working on the next generation of diesel, the “EA288 Evo”. It should meet the future emissions standards. In theory it works, but the biturbo diesel fails where it is. The exhaust system with two turbochargers and the improved exhaust gas cleaning does not fit into the narrow engine compartment of the Passat. VW does not want to compromise when it comes to pollutants, the scandal has left its mark.

The solution is to get as much power as possible from the engine with a turbo. 200 hp is enough for most customers, but not for a sporty Skoda SUV. Skoda removes the Kodiaq RS from the price list and configurator. The manufacturer suggests: The model remains, but receives a different drive, probably a plug-in hybrid.

Only VW’s commercial vehicle subsidiary is allowed to keep the twin-turbo four-cylinder. It continues to drive VW Crafter and VW T6.1. They offer enough space to convert the old engine to the new emissions standard. His strength is not the exception in this class, but the rule. In the VW T7, which will start in 2021, it looks different anyway – it is based on the car architecture.

Diesel future with electricity

VW is now often and gladly committed to electromobility. Diesel remains an issue, but is becoming less relevant. We will generally no longer see extremes such as the V8 and the twin-turbo four-cylinder in the future. At BMW, the six-cylinder diesel with 400 hp runs out almost at the same time. The most powerful Mercedes diesel is ten hp weaker for the new emissions standard. It will make 330 hp in the future.

There’s no need to be sad: electrification opens up new possibilities. With electric compressors and (mild) hybridization, there can be strong and interesting diesel engines again. Audi is testing their acceptance with new V6 diesels in S4 to S7. They have almost 350 hp and are clean enough for the future. But they react sluggishly. They cannot yet provide enough fuel to run out of engines.