The Audi 100 was the first Audi model to be offered with a diesel engine. Audi added a 2.0-liter diesel to the second-generation C2 Audi 100 range, making the large executive car the company’s pioneer in diesel passenger cars.
The C2 Audi 100 had been launched in 1976 with a distinctive inline-five-cylinder engine range. The diesel version followed in the late 1970s and produced about 70 PS. It was naturally aspirated rather than turbocharged, reflecting the technology and performance expectations of the period.
Diesel power was initially associated with economy and durability more than speed. Audi later expanded the concept with turbo-diesel engines and eventually became especially well known for its TDI direct-injection diesels. The Audi 100 therefore formed an important bridge between conventional diesel cars and Audi’s later diesel technology.
The Audi 80, Audi 200 and A6 can cause confusion because they also received diesel versions. However, they came later in the relevant Audi timeline. The A6 itself inherited the Audi 100’s position and engineering lineage when that name was introduced in 1994.