Audi just unleashed the new SQ5 TDI with a V6 engine developing 347 hp and a nice 516 lb-ft of torque with the help of a mild hybrid system.
The second generation of the Audi SQ5, introduced in 2017, was available worldwide with a single engine, a turbocharged 349 HP V6 engine. This will change with the arrival of the new Audi SQ5 TDI.
The new SQ5 TDI marks the return of the diesel in the performance SUV. The 3.0 V6 TDI engine pumps out 347 hp and a whopping 516 lb-ft of torque.
This engine uses an electric powered compressor that ensures that maximum torque is available at “just above idle”, to recite the manufacturer. That torque is available from 2,500 to 3,100 rpm.
Accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 5.1 seconds, the V6 TDI engine consumes between 6.6 and 6.8 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers. The new SQ5 has also an electrically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
A mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) system is also part of the new Audi SUV. The system can reduce fuel consumption by 0.7 liters per 100 kilometers. It can recuperate up to 12kW of energy during deceleration. The electrical energy is then stored in the lithium-ion battery, located beneath the luggage compartment floor, where it’s distributed in the electrical system.
To quote Audi: “If the driver lifts off the accelerator at a speed between 55 and 160 km/h the new Audi SQ5 TDI can, depending on Audi drive select setting and driving situation, either recuperate, roll at idle with the clutch disengaged or coast with the engine off for up to 40 seconds.”
An optional S-specific adaptive air suspension is available on the new model as well as 21-inch wheels.
Audi’s new SQ5 TDI has the same eight-speed tiptronic transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive system has its petrol variant.
