Petrol Vs Diesel –The Battle Continues!

Since the dawn of the motor car, manufacturers have been constantly developing ways in which to give their cars the competitive edge. Some have focused on the fuel consumption, for others it has been the performance and recently we have seen the move towards lower CO2 emissions.

One could argue that the biggest battle in the world of motor cars is not between car manufacturers, it is between petrol and diesel! For centuries diesels have been seen as slow, loud and dirty while their petrol counterparts have been seen as fast and quiet but thirsty! Times are changing. Audi have won the coveted Le-Mans 24 hour race several times in a diesel race car. This remarkable feat of engineering is able to outpace the petrol rivals and while they are in the pits filling up with high octane fuel, the Audi is still going round the track.

I suppose you could argue that this blog should take note of the advancements in electric and hydrogen cars but when you do away with the classic internal combustion engine, you lose the car’s heart and soul. So for me anyway the battle is only two-way, at least until somebody comes up with a viable alternative!

Well today Audi have announced improvements in both their petrol and diesel engines, with a new ultra efficient petrol engine and an improved “clean diesel”. Typically diesels have always had the advantage when it comes to fuel consumption but the recent advancements in petrol injection are closing the gap fast.

So at the fighting in the corner for petrol is the new 1.2 T FSI engine in the Audi A3 and A3 Sportback. This clever new engine has the same power output as the 1.9 TDI and delivers a remarkable 51.3mpg combined. And this new engine, made almost completely out of aluminium, produces only 127g/km of CO2.

Today Audi have also announced a 3.0 TDI “clean diesel” for the Audi A4. This is the same powerful and smooth diesel that is currently on offer in the Audi Q7, but now with some new technology called Adblue. This innovative chemical breaks down the Nitrogen Oxide emissions into Nitrogen and water. Couple this with the new DeNox exhaust and you have a family car that is much kinder to the environment and can still hit 0-60 in just 6.2 seconds.

Who is winning? Well due to the higher cost of diesel and the new DPF filters fitted to most diesels you still have to do an above average mileage for it to have a real benefit, but it is in the lead for economy. These new advances in petrol engines are really making a mark and with better performance than the diesels they are sure to stay the fuel of choice for “petrol heads”.
Both these new engines will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor show in September. If you would like more information on these or any other Audi break-through why not phone us on 01202 775050 or visit http://www.pooleaudi.com/