Volkswagen Presents New 2.0 TDI Diesel With Mild Hybrid Tech, Three Outputs

The word ‘diesel’ is probably taboo at Volkswagen, and for good reasons, as the cheating emissions scandal is still fresh. However, the automaker won’t let oil burners die just yet.

In fact, they have presented their first-ever 2.0-liter TDI with a mild hybrid system. Detailed during the Vienna Motor Symposium, the powertrain will eventually make it into series production.

The EA288 Evo, as it is named, has a 12V belt starter-generator and a lithium-ion battery. This “reduces fuel consumption and increases comfort”, according to Volkswagen, which adds that the SCR components and diesel particulate filter have been re-dimensioned and improved. Also, the turbocharger now responds quicker, but, more importantly, the CO2 emissions have dropped by up to 10 g/km compared to the previous generation.

Volkswagen hasn’t cut down on power; in fact, this has increased by up to 9 percent. The output of the mild hybrid 2.0 TDI ranges between 136PS (134hp / 100kW) and 204PS (201hp / 150kW). And that’s not all, because engineers managed to reduce frictional and heat losses and to shave some weight from the engine.

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Audi will be the first brand within the Volkswagen Group to get the reworked four-cylinder diesel. The automaker will use it in vehicles with longitudinally installed drivetrains, but it will eventually be adopted by other brands and be mounted transversely in some models underpinned by the MQB platform.

Volkswagen talked about the 48V mild hybrid system that will be implemented into the Golf Mk8, which is supposed to improve fuel consumption and emissions while “offering extra dynamism and comfort with an electric boost function and exceptional drive performance”.