The 2016 Audi Q7 will be Volkswagen’s first diesel plug-in

Potentially confirming previous reports, Automotive News claims to have spoken with a source within the Volkswagen Group who reports that the German automaker’s next Audi Q7 will come with a diesel-powered plug-in-hybrid powertrain model. If these claims are true, this would be the first time that Volkswagen offered such a vehicle.

“The hybrid will be another argument to go for diesel in the US,” said Ulrich Hackenberg, the development chief boss at Audi, as quoted by Autoevolution. “We have the combination of low CO2 emissions, necessary to meet market demand and regulations, and we have the diesel which gives a lot torque, which is very necessary for drivability.”

“In the USA if you look to sportiness it is very important to be quick away from the traffic lights. In combination with the electric engine, a diesel hybrid delivers very good torque from the start,” Hackenberg continued.

Both the gasoline and diesel-powered Audi Q7s will debut next year, with the diesel-powered plug-in-hybrid arriving shortly after that. As Automobile notes, German luxury automakers have been releasing all sorts of electrified vehicle models recently, including hybrids, all-electrics, and plug-in hybrids.

The Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in, Tesla’s much-anticipated all-electric Model X, and the BMW X5 plug-in will all be competing with the 2016 Q7, according to Air Herald. Even Jaguar Land Rover wants a piece of the action and is expected to debut its own plug-in Range Rover SUV. Both Audi and Porsche are owned by Volkswagen, but the Audi Q7 will still be competing with the  Porsche Cayenne S.