When purchasing a new car, especially a sporty luxury vehicle, one of the first things you will want to know is what type of engine it has. This is true whether you purchase the compact Audi A3 with its 2.0L turbocharged/TFSI® I4 engine, or the large and luxurious Audi Q7, which is available with a 3.0L supercharged/TFSI® V6 engine. The displacement and number of cylinders are easy enough to determine, but what is TFSI®? What does it do, and why do you want it? Our Audi experts have laid out the facts for you below. If you'd prefer to speak to a product specialist directly, call (888) 698-1441.
What is Audi TFSI®?
Audi TFSI® stands for turbo fuel stratified injection. But what does that mean? Audi TFSI® combines direct injection with turbocharging and supercharging. In fact, Audi was the first auto manufacturer to combine these two methods, back in 2004. Direct injection is when fuel is injected directly into the engine's combustion chamber, rather than coming in through an intake manifold after being pre-mixed with oxygen. This way the car's computer can inject only as much fuel as needed and only when needed, which makes Audi TFSI® engines up to 15-percent more efficient.
Turbocharging an engine means compressing the air coming into an engine so that more air can fit into each cylinder. Being able to burn more air and fuel means the engine can generate more power without increasing its size and weight. Turbocharging an engine can improve horsepower by upwards of 40-percent.
The difference between turbochargers and superchargers is that turbochargers are powered by a turbine connected to the exhaust system, and superchargers are powered by a belt connected to the engine.
