Audi says lack of demand, not Dieselgate, forced it to cancel the 2017 A4 TDI

By Ronan Glon March 16, 2016

A4 sedan front — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Audi has announced it won’t sell the new 2017 A4 with a turbodiesel engine in the United States. That’s hardly surprising, as the Volkswagen-owned car maker is still feeling the ripple effect of last year’s Dieselgate scandal, but executives explain that the decision to kill the A4 TDI before it touches down on U.S. soil has nothing to do with the far-reaching emissions cover-up.

“We will get the cars certified and we would have brought [the A4 diesel] if there was enough demand,” said Scott Keogh, the boss of Audi’s American division, in an interview with trade journal Automotive News. “Every decision is a blend of a lot of things but I think the predominant thing is there was not significant market demand for the TDI sedans we had in the marketplace: A3, A6, A7, A8.”

That means the A4 will exclusively be offered with a turbocharged 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine in the foreseeable future. It generates 252 horsepower between 5,000 and 6,000 rpm, and 273 pound-feet of torque from 1,600 to 4,500 rpm. Offered with either front- or all-wheel drive, the A4 hits 60 mph from a stop in 6.1 seconds and it goes on to a top speed of 130 mph in its quickest configuration.

Buyers who want a diesel-powered Audi aren’t entirely out of luck — at least not yet. While the future looks bleak for oil-burning sedans, Keogh affirmed the company remains committed to selling diesel-powered SUVs in the United States because they’ve been relatively popular. According to Automotive News, 12 percent of all Q5s and 22 percent of all Q7s sold are equipped with a TDI engine. The Environmental Protection Agency hasn’t allowed Audi to sell diesels in the United States since late last year, but the company is working to get them re-certified.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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