Audi’s predecessor to the A4, the widely popular B1 (as it was internally known) Audi 80, introduced the public to the Ingolstadt firm’s B-series range of vehicles. It proved an enduring offering; its lifespan spanning four generations, before the B5 A4 took over the baton from its bestselling forebear in 1994.
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However, Audi’s new B-type line-up signified more than a mere alphanumeric name change; the A4 was designed from a clean sheet of paper. The first-generation A4 boasted contemporary exterior and interior styling, contemporary tech (for the time) and, notably, petrol and diesel engine options that were up to more modern standards.
Like the high-performance 80-based models — the S2 and, most notably, the sought-after, co-developed-with-Porsche RS2, which featured in the May 2024 issue of CAR — Audi Sport (S and RS) versions of the A4 would be introduced along the line, with the firm revealing the first modern S4 and RS4 derivatives in 1997 and 1999, respectively. In due time, Audi would expand its A4 portfolio beyond the standard and performance-focused A4 sedan and Avant models to include a more lifestyle-oriented derivative. Having proved successful for the A6 saloon, the German marque applied the ‘Allroad’ recipe to the A4. The A4 Allroad was exclusively available in Avant guise and with an AWD drivetrain, and increased ground clearance.
Before taking a closer look at how it’s going with Audi’s rival to Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class and the BMW 3 Series, it’s worth mentioning another Audi nameplate, ‘A5’. This shapely spin-off of the A4, was introduced in 2007, and available in three flavours, Sportback, coupé and cabriolet.
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How it’s going
Revealed three decades after the first A4 was revealed, the new A4 has, just like the 80 had received a new moniker when its B5 successor was unveiled, been handed a new, yet familiar, denomination to adhere to the brand with the firm’s restructured naming convention, where odd and even numbers signify the firm’s internal combustion and electric vehicles, respectively. The latest iterations of the automaker’s premium-midsize sedan and Avant models are now dubbed ‘A5’.
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At launch, the A4’s new, more tech-laden successor will be offered with the choice of three engine options, a 2.0 TFSI, endowed with 110 kW and 150 kW in the front-wheel-drive and quattro variants, respectively; a 2.0 TDI, which, incorporating 48 V mild-hybrid tech, develops 150 kW/400 N.m; and, in the S5, a mild-hybrid, 3.0-litre V6 turbopetrol, which directs 270 kW to all four corners via an S-tronic dual-clutch ’box. You can expect the new A5 to arrive in SA in 2025.
Find the full feature in the September issue of CAR Magazine.
Looking for your next new or used vehicle? Find it here with CARmag!
