The Diesel Option with Audi

Think of diesel and one doesn’t think of road tripping through Nice or dining on the street cafes of Girona, one instead thinks of rickety jeepneys and clattery SUVs. But for the savvy enthusiast or the jaded traveler, diesel is as European as making the annual pilgrimage to watch the Tour de France. A great majority of Europeans choose to drive a diesel automobile because, as expensive as gasoline is in the Philippines, it is even more so in Europe.

And for the buyer who’s been longing for European wheels but has been feeling the pinch of ever-higher gasoline prices, PGA Cars now has an enticing lineup of Audis running quite quickly (and QUIETLY) on good old diesel. The fetching A4 sedan and Avant station wagon can now be had with a 2-liter diesel TDI engine that sips diesel at a quoted rate of 19 kilometers per liter while complying with stringent EU4 emissions standard. Like the current spate of highly desirable diesels from late-model Japanese and European automobiles, these Audis are no slouches either.

The 2-liter TDI (direct injection) is rated at a maximum power output of 140 horsepower, while peak torque of 32 kg-m is available all the way between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm; a range that most drivers always use the majority of the time. Matched to a 7-speed multitronic automatic transmission, the A4 sedan accomplishes the zero to 100 kph sprint in 9.6 seconds, and will run all the way to an impressive 206 kph top speed.

As important as its performance figures is its smooth and quiet operation, long a bugbear of most diesel powerplants. A pair of hefty balance shafts helps reduce engine vibration to a bare minimum at high engine speeds, while generous application of NHV materials smothers out that quirky, clattering noise from reaching through the cabin.

Meanwhile, the parsimonious CEO might be very interested in the TDI engine’d A6, whose 3-liter, common rail-injected V6 produces 225 horsepower and 45 kg-m of torque; more torque than your average SUV, but infinitely more style with the A6’s curves. Even better, it churns out that twist from a low of 1,400 rpm to 3,250 rpm in a plateau-like delivery profile. With fuel consumption rated at 12 kilometers per liter based on an extra urban driving cycle, CEOs can happily doze through EDSA traffic without feeling the pinch like his counterpart next lane in the gas-guzzling saloon.

At the drag strip, it will also reach 100 kph in just 7.3 seconds and punch through the air all the way to a 243 kph top speed. Impressive, no? Plus, it does the job with "Quattro" permanent all-wheel drive.

Needless to say, these cars wouldn’t be proper Audis if they didn’t have the full complement of luxury and safety features. The A4 sedan and Avant station wagon get highly breathable fabric upholstery and the usual complement of standard features expected of European automobiles such as automatic climate control, range-adjustable headlamps, front and side airbags, and Electronic Stabilization Program to rein in that power with these front-wheel drive cars.

The all-wheel drive A6, on the other hand, arrives in full force with plush leather upholstery, a boffo sound system, active head restraints, an Electronic Differential Lock, and 6-speed Tiptronic with a Dynamic Shift Program algorithm; all the better for the Boss to enjoy his car from time to time in the left-front seat.