Audi is planning to achieve its goal of creating cars with outstanding performance and also great fuel efficiency by downsizing their engines, it has been revealed.

An Audi spokesperson confirmed the news after revealing that the German car maker is back in the engineering room attempting to create an engine which will meet its brief as the spokesperson explains: “Audi is pursuing an engine downsizing strategy when appropriate for the market segment.”

While some car manufacturers look to aluminium to create a lightweight bodywork for car designs which will in turn aid fuel consumption, Audi is now attempting to follow a different route with the design of a smaller engine for its vehicles.

Audi has possibility been spurred on by the success of a previous project of their own. In 2004 the luxury car maker introduced the V8 with a 4.2 L engine, at the time Audi announced it was their best achievement in a decade. However Audi followed up with the V6 which boasted 27% better fuel consumption and it also produced a better performance.

As well as looking into strategies to improve fuel consumption in their best performing cars, Audi are also developing hybrid and electric models which they plan to release into the international market.