The Awesome 5-Cylinder Turbo Still Has A Future, Says Audi

Any news that involves a new lease of life for a brilliant engine is music to our ears, so you can imagine how pleased we were to discover that Audi plans to release another generation of 2.5-litre TFSI five-pot.

The charismatic warbler has always been an impressive brute in the likes of the TT RS and RS 3, but it does rather like a drink and we’d all-but assumed it was toast as soon as the next set of emissions laws arrive. But, according to an interview published by WhichCar in Australia, that might not be the case at all.

The magazine quotes Audi Sport chief, Oliver Hoffmann, as saying the engine was very much in the company’s plans. He reportedly said:

“It is more difficult [to keep engines like this], but it’s not just a question of how difficult it is. For EU7 we have concepts for all our engines, but it’s just a matter of how much money I have to spend to reach the targets!

“For the five-cylinder we have a very, very, good concept to reach those standards.”

The engine’s last update saw it shed some 26kg after it moved to an alloy block. The previous iron item meant the RS 3 it powered needed wider tyres at the front than the back just to try to reduce the inevitable understeer.

According to WhichCar, other VW Group models have been spotted testing with the revised future iteration of the engine, including the Golf R. It’s not yet known whether some degree of hybridisation will be needed to make the five-pot pass EU7 emissions regs, but we do know that the next all-new Golf GTI, which was once slated for a hybrid makeover, will stay combustion-only.