New Audi 2.0-liter TFSI engine set next-gen A4

Audi used the Vienna Motor Symposium to unveil its new 2.0 TFSI engine calling "the most efficient 2-liter gasoline engine in its class." Set to launch in the next-gen Audi A4 bowing September at the Frankfurt Auto Show, this new variation on the well-proven turbocharged/direct-injected engine relies on a breakthrough in combustion technology to crank out 188 horsepower and a stout 236 lb-ft of torque, the latter delivered from 1,450 to 4,400 rpm. This should add a new dimension to the dynamic character of the new A4. Describing it as an exercise in "rightsizing" — which involves "optimizing the interplay of vehicle class, displacement, output, torque and efficiency characteristics under everyday conditions" — Audi also notes the engine returns the equivalent of 47 mpg on the European NEDC, a stat validating its claim to class-leading fuel-frugality.

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First of what the automaker says will be a new family of engines, this latest 2.0 TFSI 4-cylinder matches a comparatively short intake stroke with forced-induction, in this case, turbocharging to ensure an ideal air/fuel mix in each cylinder at all times. Beyond its unique combustion technology, the new 2.0 TFSI also incorporates numerous other efficiency-enhancing design touches from lightweight construction and reduced internal friction to accelerated coolant warmup intervals and an exhaust manifold which is cast directly into the engine’s cylinder head.

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"Thanks to this rightsizing approach, the new 2.0 TFSI enjoys the consumption benefits of a downsized engine in partial-load operation, while at higher loads it has the advantages of a large-displacement engine", notes Dr. Stefan Knirsch, Head of Engine Development at Audi. "The result is optimal efficiency and performance characteristics across the entire engine speed range."

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