Audi Could Hybridize The Five-Cylinder Engine On The RS3 To Keep It Alive In Europe

Audi could hybridize its 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine as a way to keep it on sale in Europe despite tougher emissions regulations, Audi Sport boss Rolf Mihl told Britain’s Autocar.

In its current configuration, the 400bhp EA855 will not meet the new emissions regulations that come into force in November. This would require significant engineering investment and would not justify the business case when the engine is used in only two models worldwide: the Audi RS3 and the Cupra Formentor VZ5.

The recent launch of the RS3 Competition Limited was seen as a potential swansong for the power plant after Audi CEO Gernot Delner told Autocar that the future of the EA855 was “still under discussion” at board level, adding that “I don’t know if we can refinance the investment into EU7 regulations.”

To keep it on sale, sources told Autocar that the engine would need significant hardware changes, such as a new particulate filter, more sensitive NOx sensors, recalibrated injection mapping…

However, when asked if hybridization could be a solution, Miehl said, ‘We are open to any possibility.’ Thoughts [on how to do it] will continue on our end. I can tell you that we are still thinking about different technological possibilities.” He added, “At the end of the day, the most important thing is the maximum amount of emotional driving experience for the compact segment. “We are absolutely aware of the DNA of the five-cylinder engine and are open to any possibility.”

If the 2.5-liter engine isn’t updated, it won’t be phased out entirely, as Audi intends to sell it in markets with less stringent environmental regulations, such as the UAE.

• Also See: The Latest Version Of Audi A6 L Has Been Launched For The Chinese Market