Dan Mihalascu is an accomplished automotive journalist with over two decades of automotive media work both internationally and in his home country of Romania.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, and he has reviewed (sometimes even raced) cars for most of his professional life.
Prior to joining HotCars.com in July 2025, Dan worked as a news writer and editor for InsideEVs.com, CarScoops.com and Autoevolution.com. He also has bylines at DriveMag.com and ConsumerAffairs.com, among other international media outlets.
In Romania, he wrote for car magazines, sports newspapers and even a TV news station.
Writing and cars aside, he loves reading, cycling, hiking and spending quality time with his family.
In the wake of the Dieselgate scandal and increasingly stricter emissions standards in Europe, the diesel engine has seen a massive drop in popularity in the region, after dominating sales for more than a decade.
In the first 10 months of 2025, plug-in hybrid sales have officially surpassed diesel sales in Europe for the first time ever, with PHEVs holding a 9.4% market share, while diesel sales have fallen to 8%.
Now, launching a new diesel engine sounds rather counterintuitive, but that is exactly what Audi is doing. The premium car manufacturer has just announced that it is expanding its engine lineup for the Audi Q5 and Audi A6 mid-size models with an updated 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine featuring mild-hybrid technology (code-named EA897evo4).
For the first time, Audi’s MHEV plus technology is combined with an electrically powered compressor, and the automaker claims that helps the powertrain set new standards compared to its predecessors.
A luxury hybrid that actually drives like one. Meet the Audi A6 e-hybrid. It’s sharp, swift, and refreshingly unbothered by stereotypes.
The engine itself is rated at 295 hp at 3,620 rpm and 428 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 rpm, but it is assisted by the 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which consists of the powertrain generator, belt alternator starter and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.
The powertrain generator contributes 24 hp of additional power and 170 lb-ft of additional torque when starting off and overtaking. When decelerating, the generator feeds up to 25 kW of energy back into the battery. The generator also enables partially electric driving, which means that in slow city traffic, in steadily moving traffic on roads outside of town and when parking and maneuvering, the vehicle operates purely electrically. The belt alternator starter’s primary function is to start the engine and supply the battery with electrical energy.
Located behind the conventional turbocharger and the intercooler in the intake path, the electrically powered compressor supports the turbocharger in a two-stage charging concept. Primarily, it overcomes turbo lag, helping the engine provide high torque values at low engine speeds by increasing boost pressure. This also results in significantly lower fuel consumption compared to the previous engine generation.
As far as the performance is concerned, it stands to gain as well from this setup, as Audi says responsiveness during initial acceleration has substantially improved. For example, in the first 2.5 seconds of acceleration, the vehicle covers a good car length more than before.
This is due to the fact that the belt alternator supports the engine as it builds revolutions, while the powertrain generator and the electrically powered compressor provide torque for acceleration. The compressor also amplifies the increase of boost pressure, while the generator transmits the first direct torque impulse to the wheels.
For those who are into technical details, the electrically powered compressor receives compressed intake air from the exhaust-driven turbocharger. The compressor further compresses the air before entering the combustion chamber, helping the engine react more quickly when the load demand for the accelerator pedal is high and the energy supply on the turbine side is low.
Now, this is not the first time Audi has used an electrically powered compressor; it has done so before in models like the S4, S6 and SQ5 performance SUV. However, the current generation is significantly more powerful, thanks to a wider operating range and faster buildup of boost. These are made possible by the compressor’s optimized airflow design and the permanent-magnet synchronous motor that drives it, in combination with improved air supply to the six cylinders.
The new electrically powered compressor now functions across the entire engine speed range, ensuring a linear and faster response, stronger mid-range acceleration with even more direct pedal feel, increased efficiency and improved long-term durability.
As a result of the interaction between the electrically powered compressor and the powertrain generator, the maximum boost pressure of 3.6 bar builds up nearly one second faster than before, benefitting acceleration and refinement, as turbo lag is eliminated.
Furthermore, under acceleration, the compressor wheel spins up to 90,000 revolutions per minute in just 250 milliseconds, an increase of nearly 40 percent. That entitles Audi to say that driving the new diesel hybrid “closely resembles the feel of an electric drive with similar power.”
Meet the diesel that outlasted rivals, trends, and even the cars it powered, reliably serving decades with abundant torque and pure American grit.
Performance-wise, that translates into a 0–62 mph sprint of 5.2 seconds for the A6 sedan (5.3 seconds for the A6 Avant) and 5.0 seconds for the Q5 SUV and Q5 Sportback. The top speed is limited to 155 mph for all models. As for fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions, the Audi Q5 has a combined fuel economy rating as low as 40.6 MPG with corresponding CO2 emissions of 246.2 grams per mile, while the Audi A6 is rated at 44.4 MPG and 225.3 grams of CO2 per mile.
CO2 emissions can be dramatically reduced when the new V6 TDI engine runs on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The motor is compatible with this sustainable fuel, which enables a 70% to 95% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to petroleum-derived diesel.
HVO is produced using residual and waste materials, including used cooking oil from the food industry or agricultural by-products. Using hydrogen, the oils are converted into saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons that can be used as a 100% pure fuel or blended with conventional diesel. Audi is already taking orders in Europe for the new V6-powered Q5 and A6 models, but the new powertrain will not be available in North America.
Source: Audi
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Your comment has not been saved
This thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
