Audi A4 history: from the 1972 Audi 80 to the B9 and the new A5

Audi A4 (and Audi 80/90) history

The B series began with the Audi 80 (B1), presented to the media in July 1972. Head of development Ludwig Kraus had every part checked for weight, so the two-door base car weighed just 835 kg. It was light and fuel-efficient at the right moment, the 1973 oil crisis. It won Car of the Year, sold more than a million units by 1978, and was sold in the US as the Fox.

Four Audi 80 generations (B1–B4) ran until 1994/95; in the US, B2 cars wore the 4000 name and later cars were sold as the 80 and 90. In November 1994 the fifth generation launched as the Audi A4 (B5), part of Audi's switch to letter-and-number names. It reached the US for 1996 and became the brand's best-selling sedan there.

Five A4 generations (B5–B9) followed, with S4 and, at times, RS 4 performance models plus an allroad wagon. For the 2025 model year the new A5, a sedan with a liftback on Audi's new PPC platform, replaced both the A4 sedan and the A5 Sportback in the US. By 2022 Audi counted more than 12.5 million Audi 80 and A4 cars built.[1],[2],[3],[5],[7],[8],[9]

Years and production numbers

Generations and key variants

Engine and drivetrain facts

• The B1 Audi 80 launched with four engines from 1.3 to 1.6 liters (55 to 100 PS). Its overhead-cam EA 827 four became the Volkswagen Group's most widely built engine.
• With the B5 A4 in 1994, five-cylinder engines left the B series, and new V6 engines gradually replaced them in the mid-1990s.
• The 2016 A4's 2.0 TFSI made 220 hp, and the B8 S4's supercharged 3.0 TFSI V6 made 333 hp and 325 lb-ft.
• The B9 A4 launched in the US for 2017 with a redeveloped 2.0 TFSI rated at 252 hp and 273 lb-ft; Audi called the A4 the best-selling model in its history.
• The 2025 A5 that replaced the A4 sedan uses a 2.0 TFSI with 268 hp and 295 lb-ft, 67 hp more than the outgoing A5 Sportback's standard engine, with seven-speed S tronic and standard quattro.

Sources:[1],[4],[5],[16],[30]

What changed over the years

1. 1972 (B1)Audi 80 launches; more than a million built by summer 1978. The US Fox follows.
2. 1986 (B3)New Audi 80 with a fully galvanized body and a ten-year rust-perforation warranty; the 80 quattro adds the Torsen center differential.
3. 1994 (B5)The fifth generation becomes the A4, launching Audi's new model names; US sales start for 1996.
4. 2000–2004 (B6, B7)Two A4 generations on the B6/B7 platform; S4 moves to a 4.2 V8 and the B7 adds an RS 4.
5. 2007 (B8)Longer, larger A4; US from 2009 with 2.0 TFSI and 3.2 V6, later 2.0 TFSI only; supercharged 3.0 S4.
6. 2015 (B9)Ninth-generation B-series car; US from 2017 with 252 hp; an A4 allroad continues.
7. 2025New A5 sedan with a liftback on the PPC platform replaces the A4 sedan in the US.

Sources:[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[15],[21],[23],[25],[31]

What to check before you buy one

• Confirm drivetrain and transmission from the VIN. A4s were sold with front-wheel drive or quattro, and with manual, multitronic CVT (some front-drive cars), tiptronic or S tronic transmissions depending on year.
• On a B9 with quattro, know whether you have quattro with ultra (S tronic models) or another system; both are quattro, but they behave differently.
• Be wary of S4 and RS 4 replicas. S line bumpers and badges are easy to add; the VIN and build data confirm a real S4 or RS 4.
• For a 2012–2016 2.0 TFSI or any turbocharged A4, ask for oil-change records and check for open recalls and any extended-warranty work done by VIN.
• For a late B9 (2024–2025), compare it with the new 2025 A5. They overlap in price on the used market, but the A5 is the newer generation.

Model-specific problems by generation are tracked on our Audi A4 known issues page. Engine guides: 2.0 TFSI (EA888) turbo four, 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6, 3.0 TFSI turbo V6 (EA839).

How to verify a Audi A4 (and Audi 80/90)'s factory options

A4s of the same year can differ widely in drivetrain, transmission and option packages, and S line trim makes many look like an S4. CarWhere checks the 17-character VIN for licensed factory build data and, when it exists, lists the equipment the car was built with. It does not promise a complete option list for every VIN.

Standardized 17-character VINs began with the 1981 model year, so early Audi 80s (sold in the US as the Fox) predate them; every A4 has one.[32]

For pre-1981 examples, the data plate and engine stampings carry the original factory codes; a VIN-based build lookup does not apply to them.