From the third quarter of 2017, Audi AG changed the engine designation system it had used for many years. Instead of badges based mainly on engine displacement, such as 1.2 TFSI, 1.6 TDI, 3.0 TDI or 3.0 TFSI, the new system indicates the engine’s power category.
The idea is simple: the number on the badge no longer tells you the engine capacity. It places the model into a power range.
According to Audi’s system, the power classes are grouped as follows:
The new classification is used for modern Audi powertrains, including TDI, TFSI, g-tron and e-tron models.
Audi’s official explanation is that the new naming system makes it easier to understand the model range, especially as hybrid and electric vehicles become more important. Engine displacement is no longer the only clear indicator of performance, especially when combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and electric powertrains are compared in the same model family.
Dietmar Voggenreiter, at the time Audi AG Board Member for Sales and Marketing, explained the logic behind the change: as alternative drive technologies become more important, engine displacement becomes less relevant as the primary indicator of vehicle performance.
The first Audi model to receive the new designation system was the Audi A8, which entered production in autumn 2017. The six-cylinder engines previously known as 3.0 TDI and 3.0 TFSI received new badges: 50 TDI and 50 TFSI. Their outputs were 210 kW and 250 kW respectively.
Audi S and RS models keep their traditional naming structure.
