Diesel powertrains are always more expensive than their gasoline counterparts, but Audi is asking a big premium for the diesel versions of its A6, A6 and Q5.
The brand announced plans to begin selling the vehicles, all with the same 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine, during the L.A. Auto Show late last year. Targeting buyers interested in a more fuel efficient option, the miles per gallon climb higher with both sedans offering up to 38 mpg on the highway or 29 mpg combined. Meanwhile the Q5 has an EPA estimated 31 mpg on the highway or 27 combined miles per gallon.
Despite the efficiency gains, Audi’s line of newly North American oil burners come with a heavy price premium. The A6 TDI starts at $57,500, which is a whopping $15,300 more than the base A6. Then again, it comes equipped with the premium plus package, which also adds to the price. But by how much?
Quite a bit, as it turns out. Buyers can still have the “Premium plus” package with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder for $46,500 (or $11,00 less). Of course, the 3.0-liter diesel offers quite a bit more engine for that price too, with a claimed 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds and 428 lb-ft of torque.
Jumping to the A7 shrinks that price gap quite a bit, with the TDI version tagged at $66,900. That’s $6,800 higher than the base A7. Even out the packages and that gap shrinks further to only $3,100 for the diesel, which is a reasonable uptick considering the equipment.
Finally, there’s the 2014 Q5 TDI. The diesel-powered crossover costs $46,500. Audi didn’t specify that its diesel Q5 comes with the same trim level as its new diesel cousins. The starting price for the base gas variant is only $35,900, which means it costs $10,600 for the more efficient model capable of a 0-60 run in 6.5 seconds.
All that said, the 3.0-liter diesel engine isn’t aimed at the same demographic interested in a four cylinder. Instead, it’s more likely to attract shoppers who would otherwise consider the 3.0-liter supercharged six-cylinder models.
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