Tag Archives: V6

News

Audi’s New MHEV Plus V6 TDI: Diesel Isn’t Dead—It’s Reinventing Itself

Audi may be leaning into electrification, but it hasn’t abandoned the kind of clever engineering that made its diesel engines legends in the first place. The brand’s latest technological cocktail—called MHEV plus, paired with a newly evolved V6 TDI EA897evo4—proves that innovation and efficiency don’t have to come at the expense of performance.

This is mild-hybrid tech with a twist. Instead of simply smoothing stop-start transitions and trimming a little fuel consumption, MHEV plus adds a belt alternator starter, a powertrain generator, and a lithium iron phosphate battery that work together to give the diesel engine electric-assist muscle worthy of a full hybrid.

Electric Assist That Actually Assists

Audi’s belt alternator starter handles the usual hybrid chores—waking the engine and topping up the battery—but it’s the powertrain generator that steals the spotlight. It enables short stretches of pure electric movement in low-speed scenarios: crawling through city traffic, sliding into a parking space, or cruising steadily through suburban zones. You won’t drive silently for miles, but you will cut fuel use where it matters most.

Better still, this generator can feed up to 230 Nm of torque and 18 kW (24 PS) straight into the drivetrain when the driver calls for more shove. Need quick thrust for overtaking? The electric boost has your back. Lift off the throttle, and the system recuperates as much as 25 kW during deceleration.

A Trio of Electrified Components

The star of the upgraded 3.0-liter V6 TDI isn’t just the mild-hybrid hardware. Audi has bolted on an electrically powered compressor (EPC)—a technology the brand has used before, but never at this scale or sophistication.

This EPC forms part of a new two-stage charging concept, working in lockstep with the turbocharger and hybrid hardware. The goal: instant response at any rpm, stronger acceleration, and lower fuel burn. And it works. Audi says the new system improves the vehicle’s initial sprint so effectively that the car covers a full car length more in the first 2.5 seconds compared to the previous generation.

Here’s how it plays out:

  • The belt alternator starter fires up the engine and fills in the early revs.
  • The powertrain generator sends its first torque hit to the wheels.
  • The electrically powered compressor rapidly ramps up boost pressure, erasing turbo lag completely.

The results? Immediate low-end torque, muscular mid-range bite, and a diesel that feels suspiciously like an electric motor when you launch hard.

A New Breed of Electric Compressor

Past Audi models like the S4, S6, and SQ5 used an EPC, but the new version is an entirely different animal. Thanks to a redesigned airflow path, a permanent-magnet synchronous motor, and improved cylinder breathing, this compressor operates across the entire engine speed range, not just selectively.

It builds maximum boost pressure of 3.6 bar nearly one second faster, and the compressor wheel can spin to 90,000 rpm in 250 milliseconds—a 40 percent improvement. The payoffs are real: fast, linear response, deeper mid-range punch, improved efficiency, and long-term durability that should please both enthusiasts and fleet operators.

In practice, the V6 TDI EA897evo4 doesn’t just accelerate—it surges. The blend of clean electric torque and diesel force gives it a character unlike any other compression-ignition engine on the market.

Diesel Meets Sustainability: Enter HVO 100

Audi is also future-proofing its diesel with fuel flexibility. The new V6 TDI is fully approved for HVO 100, a renewable diesel that meets the EN 15940 XTL European standard. This isn’t biodiesel in the old-school sense; HVO is produced from residual waste products like used cooking oil and agricultural scrap.

The sustainability stats are impressive: running on HVO can slash CO₂ emissions by 70 to 95 percent compared to fossil diesel. Audi even ships new vehicles from Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm with HVO already in the tank.

Audi’s MHEV plus system isn’t just another mild-hybrid badge add-on. Combined with a wildly capable electric compressor and compatibility with renewable fuels, the V6 TDI EA897evo4 showcases a surprising truth: diesel can still evolve.

In a market rushing toward full electrification, Audi’s latest TDI stands as a reminder that smart engineering and clever hybridization can keep combustion engines relevant—efficient, powerful, and genuinely enjoyable.

Source: Audi

News

Dodge Reopens Orders for Durango GT V-6 to Meet Surging Demand

Dodge isn’t shy about calling the Durango America’s favorite muscle SUV—and the numbers back it up. Fresh off its best third-quarter sales in two decades, the three-row bruiser is getting an expanded powertrain menu for 2026. The headline: the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 returns to the Durango GT, giving buyers a more affordable way into the lineup while Dodge works to catch up with booming demand for its HEMI V-8s.

“Dodge Durango is on a tear,” says CEO Matt McAlear, pointing to a trophy case that’s filling up as quickly as order books. This year alone, the Durango topped the J.D. Power APEAL Study for Upper Midsize SUVs, gained the wild SRT Hellcat Jailbreak with more customization combos than you’ll ever scroll through, and brought back the fan-favorite B5 Blue paint. With order availability expanded for high-performance models and V-8 supply ramping, Dodge is flexing momentum most SUV makers can only envy.

Muscle for Families Who Refuse to Drive Beige

The Durango remains the lone three-row SUV that legitimately leans on muscle car DNA. Its blocky swagger, rumbling exhaust notes, and unapologetic attitude put it in a class of one. No rival blends this level of performance, practicality, and personality—and Dodge seems to know exactly what its customers want: choices.

2026 Durango Lineup: From Sensible to Completely Unhinged

Here’s how the newly broadened lineup stacks up:

GT V-6: The Accessible Muscle SUV

  • 295 hp / 260 lb-ft from the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6
  • Starting MSRP: $38,995
  • AWD available for $2,000
    This makes the GT V-6 the gateway to Durango ownership—still styled aggressively, still roomy for seven, and now back in the mix to satisfy shoppers who don’t need V-8 theatrics.

GT HEMI AWD: Most Affordable AWD V-8 in the Game

  • 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, 360 hp
  • Starting MSRP: $42,695
    A throwback to the days when big-displacement V-8s didn’t require second mortgages, the GT HEMI might be the sweet spot for buyers wanting real muscle without stepping into SRT territory.

R/T: Big-Cube V-8 Returns Q1 2026

  • 6.4-liter HEMI, 475 hp
    The naturally aspirated bruiser of the family, coming back online early next year. Expect the same rowdy mid-range punch that made the last R/T a family-hauler legend.

SRT Hellcat: The Apex Predator

  • 6.2-liter supercharged V-8, 710 hp
  • Starting MSRP: $79,995
    Still the quickest and most powerful three-row gas SUV you can buy. It’s absurd. It’s hilarious. It makes no sense—and that’s precisely why it sells.

SRT Hellcat Jailbreak: Customization Gone Nuclear

More than 7 million combinations of paint, trim, stripes, wheels, and accents let buyers build anything from stealthy menace to skittles-colored chaos. It’s Dodge embracing its “rules are meant to be broken” ethos.

Orders are open

For anyone ready to join the stampede, dealer orders for the Durango GT V-6 open November 19. Given the Durango’s recent sales streak—and the never-ending appetite for V-8 power—it’s likely the new batch won’t sit around.

Dodge knows exactly what it’s doing: keeping the flame of American muscle alive in an SUV-dominated market by giving customers something no competitor offers. The 2026 Durango lineup doesn’t just cover the bases—it smokes the tires on the way to home plate.

Source: Dodge

News

BMW M Confirms Straight-Six and V8 Engines Will Survive Euro 7 – With No Performance Loss

As emissions regulations continue to tighten across Europe, fears have grown over the future of traditional performance powertrains. But according to BMW M’s top executive, fans of the brand’s iconic straight-six and V8 engines can breathe easy — at least for now.

Speaking at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to its hallmark powerplants, confirming that both the straight-six and V8 engines will remain in the lineup despite the tougher Euro 7 emissions standards coming into force.

Crucially, Van Meel emphasized that performance will not be sacrificed to meet compliance.

“The challenge was not so much to make an engine that is EU7 compliant,” Van Meel told Autocar, “but to keep performance.”

The upcoming Euro 7 regulations, which build on the current Euro 6e framework, don’t lower the permissible emissions limits per se. However, they do introduce a much broader range of real-world testing conditions — including cold starts, dynamic driving, and higher load scenarios. Furthermore, engines must now remain compliant for up to 10 years or 200,000 kilometers (124,000 miles), double the duration previously mandated.

Perhaps most notably, Euro 7 will mark the first time that non-exhaust emissions — namely brake and tyre particulates — are also monitored.

Van Meel acknowledged the engineering challenges involved, especially around thermal management. Traditional methods of using extra fuel for cooling during high-performance operation — known as enrichment — are no longer viable under the stricter rules, which require combustion to occur at “lambda one,” the ideal air-fuel ratio.

“Normally, if you are in high-performance situations, you cool using the fuel,” Van Meel explained. “With EU7, that’s impossible, so you need to find different ways of avoiding temperature build-up.”

BMW M engineers have therefore focused on refining the combustion process and optimizing cooling efficiency, though Van Meel stopped short of revealing exactly how these results have been achieved. “Very interesting” changes have been made to both engines, with technical details expected to follow closer to production.

What is clear, however, is that downsizing is not on the table.

Asked whether BMW M would consider three- or four-cylinder engines augmented by hybrid systems to meet future regulations, Van Meel responded with a firm “No.”

“The six-cylinder in-line engine is our legacy, and the V8 has got a long history in racing, so we intend to keep going,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine putting a four-cylinder in an M5.”

According to Van Meel, such engines do not align with BMW M’s philosophy — particularly when it comes to torque characteristics, powerband behavior, and overall vehicle weight.

For now, this is welcome news for purists. In an age of increasing electrification and regulatory constraints, BMW M is drawing a line in the sand: performance without compromise, tradition without dilution.

Source: BMW