Audi A4: TDI Diesel

Audi A4 2.0 TDI proves it’s a lean, green machine

Eleven Audi A4 2.0 TDI cars, driven by ten randomly selected reader teams from ‘Auto Bild’ – the German version of Auto Express magazine -  together with one team from Audi, recently took part in an efficiency marathon to see who could achieve the lowest fuel consumption.

However, this wasn’t just a casual drive through Europe! The total distance driven was just over 2050 miles, involving two equal return legs from Basel to Vienna, with an average fuel consumption of 49mpg required for a chance to win.

The fuel-efficient A4 2.0 TDI diesel took this task in its stride, and coupled with its dynamic presence on the road, bettered both the expected fuel consumption and CO2 emissions alike.

The winning team on the first round achieved an average of 59mpg, with CO2 emissions of only 88 grams per kilometre  at an average speed of 46.35 mph. Five teams achieved over 57 mpg, while even the Audi in eleventh place recorded an impressive average fuel consumption of  56mpg. The stated combined consumption figure is 38mpg with CO2 emissions of 134 grams per kilometre.

The winning team on the second leg recorded an average fuel consumption of 57mpg, with CO2 emissions of only 91 grams per kilometre. This was for a higher average speed of 50.58 mph.

The route of the efficiency marathon ran through Switzerland, Germany and Austria and was 1,025.26 miles long in each direction. Most of the journey was on motorways, but it also included A-Road equivalents and routes through towns and cities.

This would certainly be an ambitious aim in regular traffic, but was made possible by the Audi A4 TDI. The two-litre, six-speed, manual TDI, with its common rail injection system, was able to achieve this, together with its refined running and ride comfort.

While the teams had the air-conditioning turned off most of the time, the amount of fuel left in the tanks of the eleven Audi A4 cars at the end of the challenge meant it would certainly have been possible to enjoy the comfort of the high-performance, ultra-efficient automatic air conditioning as well.

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