Automotive News Europe reports that the Audi Q7 will become the first model from Volkswagen AG – and the second in Europe after the Volvo V60 – to offer a plug-in hybrid diesel powertrain.
The next-generation Audi Q7 will debut in 2015 with gasoline and diesel powertrains. Said plug-in hybrid diesel variant will be launched later in Europe and the U.S., giving the four-ring brand a technology edge over domestic rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which currently offer gasoline-powered plug-in hybrids only.
Back in the summer, Audi's head of development, Ulrich Hackenberg, revealed the company’s desire to come to market with a plug-in diesel in the form of the A8 sedan and Q7 crossover, but did not specify which model would be first.
"We strongly believe in plug-in hybrids," Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said earlier this year during the launch of the A3 Sportback e-tron, Audi's first-ever plug-in hybrid.
Canadian availability and pricing for the Audi Q7 plug-in hybrid diesel have yet to be announced.
Source: Automotive News