According to Automotive News, sources within Audi have confirmed that the hybrid powertrain will follow the gasoline and TDI options already slated for roll-out in the U.S. and Europe next year.
This past summer, Audi officials openly discussed the company’s development of an e-tron powertrain utilizing the company’s 3.0-liter diesel V6 paired with one or more electric motors, producing a total output of 368 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque.
At the time, Audi Chief Technical Officer Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg confirmed that it would be available in “different cars,” but would not commit to which model would see it first.
Large vehicles, which would make the most use of the hybrid system’s torque and be less burdened by the additional weight, seem to be the ideal candidates for early introductions. And it is in these larger vehicles where even one- or two-mile-per-gallon improvements can represent double-digit percentage reductions in fuel consumption over the long term.
Having axed the slow-selling, gasoline-hybrid A6 from its global lineup earlier this year, Audi appears to be looking to a blend of battery-electric and diesel-hybrid cars to meet increasingly stringent global fuel economy requirements.
The 2016 Q7 will debut in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show in January.
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