Diesel is beginning to seem like a recurring nightmare for Audi chairman Rupert Stadler and reports out of Germany ensure he’s not going to wake up happy any time soon.
Just as the Volkswagen Group gained $25bn worth of breathing space from the Dieselgate emissions-cheating scandal, the German government claims it has found the same "defeat" software device in Audi’s A7 and A8.
The government’s car-industry cheating task force claimed 24,000 A7 and A8 models, built from 2009 to 2013, had the cheat in both the V6 and V8 turbodiesel versions. Transport minister Alexander Dobrindt demanded a recall as he announced the findings, setting Audi a deadline of June 12 to finalise a plan to clean up the cars affected in Germany. Audi recalled the cars the same afternoon.
The task force also found the alleged cheats on its own, meaning Munich state prosecutors will now have a new channel to investigate Audi, which it publicly raided on the day of its annual results conference in April, even parking a BMW in Stadler’s personal parking space.
Dobrindt explained the software on the A7 and A8 halved nitrogen oxides emissions until the car detected more than 15° of steering wheel movement, indicating the software knew when it was on laboratory rollers and when it was being driven in the real world.
"The latest analyses of A7 and A8 automobiles of model years 2010 through 2013 with V6 and V8 engines certified according to the EU5 emission standard have revealed that in certain situations, NOx emissions are between 20% and 100% above the limit," Audi admitted in a statement.
"The reason is that in some situations engine speed is unfavourably influenced by the transmission software, which can have a negative impact on the engine’s emissions.
"A recall is likely to start in July 2017. As only a software update will be installed, the time required for the work on the cars will be 30 minutes.
"Audi will continue to co-operate fully with the authorities and the Federal Motor Transport Authority. It apologises to its customers for the inconvenience and is doing everything to ensure that the anomalies will be corrected as soon as possible."
Audi’s Dieselgate story is a list of horrors, from acknowledging in November 2015 that it had the Volkswagen Group cheating software installed in its four-cylinder cars, to admitting it had the cheat in the V6 turbodiesels it developed for itself, Volkswagen and Porsche, to finding the original software code for the entire Dieselgate scandal came from its own engineers.
Touareg to wander in
Our sources have given us more details on the next generation Volkswagen Touareg, which looks likely to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
The new model is going to be larger than the outgoing model but it will be significantly lighter, mainly through the use of the aluminium-intensive MLB Evo platform that also underpins the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga and will also be the platform for the next generation Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus.
The exterior design will adopt the latest cues we have seen in the Tiguan, while the rear will get haunches similar to those on the Bentayga.
The engine line-up is likely to remain similar to the current generation but expect to see hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. There is also the possibility of a fully electric version later on.
Yet another X
With a new BMW X3 on the way, it will come as no surprise that a new X4 will follow. The X4 is to the X3 what the X6 is to the X5, essentially a coupe-like version and the new model should debut not long after the X3 shows its face in September.
Like the new X3 it will sit on the company’s CLAR architecture and most of the model line-up will continue much the same as the outgoing model. However, with a X3M virtually guaranteed for the first time, we expect to see a X4M arrive as well to take on the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GLC and Audi SQ5.
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