Audi Releases Pricing, EPA Info for 2014 A6, A7, and Q5 TDI Diesel Models

The diesel-powered Audi TDI models are coming!

Audi has slowly but surely been adding more and more models that offer TDI diesel power over the past few years, and the 2014 A6, A7, and Q5 are the lastest four-ringers to gain the option. Now, pricing and fuel-economy info for the three models have been released, and as you’d expect, they all offer significantly better fuel efficiency than their gas-powered counterparts.

All three Audi TDI models share the VW Group’s diesel 3.0-liter V-6 engine, which puts out 240 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, and all come standard with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The A6 and A7 TDI are EPA-rated for 24 mpg in the city and a remarkable 38 mpg on the highway. In the case of the A6, those figures are a huge improvement over both the gas four- and six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive versions, which are good for 20/30 mpg and 18/27 mpg, respectively. The A7 TDI also handily beats its supercharged, gas-fed V-6 counterpart’s 18/28 rating. The Q5 TDI also is the most efficient Q5, but not by much; its 24/31 mpg is only marginally better than the Q5 hybrid’s 24/30 rating. Regular gas-powered Q5s return 20/28 mpg in four-cylinder guise and 18/26 mpg in supercharged six-cylinder form.

The A6, A7, and Q5 TDI aren’t available in the base, Premium trim level offered on gas-powered models; instead, all three are offered only in mid-level Premium Plus and top-spec Prestige guise. Pricing starts at $58,395 for the A6, $67,795 for the A7, and $47,395 for the Q5. Pricing for the gas 2014 A6, A7, and Q5 isn’t available, but compared to the 2013 V-6 gas versions, the premium for the diesel engine runs between $2600 and $3100. The cars’ only true competition consists of Mercedes-Benz’s diesel-powered E350 BlueTec sedan and GLK250 BlueTec crossover. Both Benzes undercut the Audi A6 and Q5 TDI by thousands, and the GLK250—which utilizes a four-cylinder engine rather than a six—merely matches the Q5′s city fuel economy of 24 mpg. On the highway, however, the GLK’s 33 mpg only improves upon the more powerful Q5′s highway fuel economy by 2 mpg.

All three diesel Audis go on sale this summer, and will join the diesel-fed A8, outgoing A3, and Q7 in the brand’s TDI lineup.