Triumph Tr6 And Tr7

Even though many of them are now working on hybrids, European automakers’ longstanding response to gasoline-electric vehicles—long championed by Japanese companies—has been to first scoff and then to point to their robust lineups of fuel-efficient diesel powertrains. Of course, diesels represent about 50 percent of the market in Europe, but they have never been offered widely in America. Fluctuating fuel prices are slowly beginning to change that, and while Euro diesels recently launched in the States have been installed in sedans and SUVs, small oil-burners make sense, too. After all, if a premium sedan with the economy of a compact is impressive, let’s see what happens when you drop a diesel in a compact.

The ritzy 2009 Audi A3 compact hatchback, based on the VW Golf/Rabbit but with a much more upscale look and interior, has long been available with diesel engines in Europe. Now Ingolstadt is pondering offering such a combo in the U.S., too. The vanguard: two A3 TDIs that served as part of the Audi Mileage Marathon, a long haul from New York to Los Angeles that gave scribes a chance to examine diesel economy in real-world conditions on American roads. (The U.S.-bound Q7 3.0 TDI was the featured vehicle of the event.)


The 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo-diesel found under the hood of the A3 we drove was significantly re-engineered and upgraded earlier this year. It’s essentially the same unit used in the 50-state-compliant Volkswagen Jetta TDI, and here it makes the same 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. In the process of the upgrade, Audi switched from the previously used pump-injectors, one for each cylinder, to common-rail fuel injection, by which fuel travels through a single high-pressure rail. The common-rail system allows several injections per cylinder stroke, making it easier to meet emissions targets, and it has the added benefit of being quieter, too.

The shift to common-rail technology is clearly felt. While the old diesel engine virtually jerked the 2009 Audi A3 forward, the new engine is more linear in response. Power delivery is generally more smooth, and there is noticeably less noise and harshness. On the other hand, a bit of the "kick" is missing; the old engine was crude, but it did feel quicker. This latest A3 diesel takes 8.9 seconds to cover 0 to 62 mph, according to Audi; for comparison, an A3 with the 2.0-liter turbo gasoline-fueled four requires about seven seconds to reach 62 mph, and we recorded 8.1 seconds to 60 mph in the Jetta TDI. A more-powerful, 170-horse version of the 2.0-liter diesel is available in Europe as well, and it returns performance closer to that of its gas counterpart.

Despite smoother operation with common-rail injectors, a diesel will never sound as sweet as a good gasoline engine. The fun in diesels, then—beyond traveling hundreds of miles farther on a tank of fuel than in a gasoline-powered car—is in the gobs of torque available at low- and mid-range rpm. Upshift at 3000 rpm or so, and you'll be rewarded with ample accelerative power in the higher gear. Equipped as it was with Audi’s double-clutch S tronic automated manual, passing in the Audi A3 TDI was a simple matter of mashing the throttle and letting the engine pull and pull and pull. Max out the TDI’s tach, though, and you’ll run out of steam, a characteristic borne of diesel engines’ typically lower horsepower ratings.

According to Audi, the 2009 Audi A3 2.0 TDI managed 45 mpg traveling coast to coast in the U.S., with the best daily mileage around 50 mpg. (We saw 23 mpg in the last A3 2.0T we tested, which puts the diesel firmly ahead regarding fuel costs, even given diesel fuel’s current 30-percent price penalty.) All that while—and we can attest to this personally—the car was driven hard on more than a few occasions. Our indicated top speed equaled Audi’s 129-mph claim, and it was achieved effortlessly.

We’re hearing rumblings that Audi is leaning toward approving the A3 2.0 TDI for U.S. sale, which we’re all for, but we’re concerned about the possible price. The A3 is pricey already—it ranges from just under $28,000 with a gas-fired four to almost $38,000 with a V-6—and diesels are typically among the more expensive powertrain options here. As such, we’d be surprised if the A3 TDI cost less than $33,000, which is a lot of money for a hatchback, even if you then add in the probable $1300 tax rebate. Still, if you want small, frugal, and sumptuous, the A3 TDI could be just the ticket, and it is great proof that the European way to save fuel couldn't be more different from the Japanese one.