With the presentation of the Audi SQ7, currently the most powerful diesel SUV in the world, is also celebrating its debut with the internally named EA 898 engine. The four-liter V8 diesel engine was completely developed in Ingolstadt, but is not reserved for Audi alone. “We are striving for group-wide use,” says Andreas Fröhlich from the unit development. The EA 898 replaces the previous 4,2-liter V8, as it is currently still used in the Audi A8 and the Porsche Cayenne S Diesel.
The Volkswagen group remains the only manufacturer in the world with a V8 diesel engine in the passenger car segment. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have long since abandoned this type of construction, instead relying on smaller displacement and six-cylinders. The latest new development from BMW, an in-line six-cylinder diesel with four-fold turbocharging, is already regarded internally in Munich as a “V8 fighter”. The Stuttgart-based company is even returning to the L6 series arrangement from the V6 diesel. The OM 656 is currently in the final development stage and will probably go into series production this year. “We see the V8 diesel in the group as a USP,” says Audi developer Fröhlich.
Basically, the V8 diesel engine fits in all vehicles based on the modular modular MLB evo. But not only that. Porsche could already use this engine in the next Panamera, which stands on the MSB (sports car platform). This should also clear the way for the next Bentley Continental. But first, the high-tech diesel will propel the Bentley Bentayga. For the first time, a diesel engine will nail under a Bentley hood. Also provided is the EA 898 for the upcoming Porsche Cayenne and the VW Touareg. Also conceivable is the delivery to Lamborghini. There arises the SUV model Urus.
At Audi, not only drivers of the SQ7 and the next A8 can enjoy the gigantic 900 Newtonmeter torque, but also buyers of the second A7 generation and the SUV flagship Q8. Whether the EA 898 will fire one level below the next A6 has not yet been decided. It would be possible. Trial vehicles are already on the way.
The EA 898, as it is installed in the flagship Q7, is also to help Audi's claim "Vorsprung durch Technik" to new life. The 435 PS powerful high-tech unit with twin-turbocharging is the first time in the automotive industry to use an electrically driven compressor, which receives its power from an 48-Volt onboard power supply. Within a quarter of a second, the compressor wheel accelerates from zero to 70.000 RPM and assists the first of the two turbochargers in early pressure build-up. The result amazes. The torque maximum of 900 Nm is already provided by the diesel engine at 1000 rpm - unique in the segment of the eight-cylinder engine. "Turbocharging is a thing of the past," says Klaus Bugelnig, Technical Project Manager. The performance is contrary to a standard consumption of only 7,2 l / 100 km. Bugelnig: "The Audi SQ7 is a key ambassador for Vorsprung durch Technik."
(Michael Specht / SP-X)