In Europe and other parts of the globe, diesel fuel cars account for about half of all passenger automobiles sales. Of course, that’s not the case in the United States.
Audi, which won the 24 Heures du Mans with its Audi R15 TDI, wants to change the U.S. trend. The German manufacturer plans to offer a diesel option of all the models it sells in the U.S. by 2015.
Audi currently offers diesels in two models: the A3 TDI compact hatchback and the Q7 TDI large sport-utility vehicle.
Neither model represents a large portion of its total U.S. sales, but Audi says it could sell more of the diesel variants if it could keep them in stock. Diesels represent half of A3 sales and close to 40 percent of Q7 sales this year.
Johan de Nysschen, Audi of America president, told industry trade journal Automotive News it plans to add diesel versions of its current A6 and A8 large sedans as well as its Q5 crossover.
Audi’s biggest seller, the A4 sports sedan, will be offered with a four-cylinder diesel when it’s redesigned for the 2015 model year. The carmaker reports its customers are ordering diesels at higher-than-expected, with approximately five percent of U.S. sales this year diesel. Audi projects the percentage could increase to 20 percent by 2015.
Modern clean diesels usually deliver fuel economy one-third to one-fifth better than gasoline engines.
Article Last Updated: August 22, 2021.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
The first manufacturer that offers a an AWD Diesel wagon wins!!