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The Age

Saturday August 9, 2008

Barry Park

Audi Australia has flagged plans to bring a fuel miserly diesel version of the TT down under. The car maker released a diesel version of the coupe and roadster in Europe earlier this year but unfortunately for Australia it only comes with a manual gearbox.

Under the hood, it uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine producing 125 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque.

Official fuel use is rated at 5.3 L/100 km.

The 2.0 TDI is a strong seller in Europe, where the preference is for diesel cars and manual gearboxes. A spokeswoman for Audi Australia said the car maker was unlikely to develop an automatic gearbox for the drivetrain just to sell in right-hand-drive markets.

Europe also gets an entry-level TT powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 118 kW and 250 Nm.

Again, fuel use is officially rated at a frugal 6.7 L/100 km.

However, the 1.8 TFSI engine for the local market will wait until after a decision is made about the 2.0-litre diesel engine. -- BARRY PARK

© 2008 The Age

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