The smallest Audi was already a polished performer. Now Ingolstadt gives the A1 a further spritzing.
It’s not like Audi to be a follower but they’ve jumped on the one-litre three-cylinder petrol engine bandwagon, their triple developing a punchy 93bhp, which replaces the unexciting 87bhp 1.2-litre TFSI that used to prop up the range.
Otherwise, you get to choose from two versions of the turbocharged 1.4-litre TFSI – the ‘standard’ unit with power up from 120bhp to 122bhp and the ‘Cylinder-on-Demand’ alternative now offering 147bhp. Diesel customers are served by a 1.6-litre TDI.
Depending on version, all engines will be linked to either a five-speed or six-speed manual transmission as standard, and for the first time all, including the 1.6 TDI, will also be available with the option of a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch automatic transmission.
The A1’s styling hasn’t changed markedly, but you might well spot the flatter and wider singleframe grille, revised bumpers, different standard alloy wheel designs and an updated colour palette. Otherwise, it’s still a familiar shape with the arcing roofline that looks so good in contrast colours.
The cabin adheres to typical contemporary Audi design language. If you’ve driven an A3 or an A4, you’ll feel very much at home here. Unlike some rivals, the interior is quiet and maturely finished with no speedometers the size of dinner plates or garish graphics. Audi contend that if you’re downsizing from a bigger car, you expect big-car sophistication.
Everything is soft touch, silicon damped and consistent in feel and design. There’s now additional chrome and high gloss black detailing, new upholstery choices including an Alcantara and leather blend and new upholstery colours, such as Laser blue for Sport models and Rotor grey for S line models, which until now have had an exclusively black finish.
The A1 body can only afford so much interior space in a package 3,954mm long, but the 267-litre boot extends to a respectable 920 litres if you drop the back seats. It’s a little bigger than most city cars but is aced for space by a lot of superminis.
Prices haven’t marched north by anything too significant, which means that you can pick up a 1.0-litre car from around the £14,500 mark, with the 1.6-litre diesel tacking another grand onto that.
Trim levels run through SE, Sport and S line, and even the entry-level car gets alloy wheels, remote central locking, air-conditioning, electric front windows and mirrors and a six-speaker single CD audio system with auxiliary iPod connection linked to a 6.5in retractable display.
A secondary collision brake assist system also now joins this list for the latest range, which can initiate automatic braking to reduce the risks of skidding and additional collisions during an accident.
There’s been a concerted drive to efficiency in this latest A1, and nowhere is that more clearly demonstrated than in the replacement of the 1.2 TFSI with the 1.0 TFSI engine.
The newer three-pot engine is capable of returning at least 60mpg with CO2 emissions of 99g/km, which easily betters the old engine’s 118g/km and 55mpg showing.
The 1.4-litre TFSI petrol engines don’t do too badly either, with the standard 122bhp unit emitting 115g/km and that clever Cylinder-on-Demand technology shaving that number down to 112g/km, despite packing 147bhp.
The 1.6 TDI retains its place as the efficiency trailblazer in the range, with CO2 output in this latest version reduced from 99g/km to 92g/km and economy potential increased from 74.3mpg to up to 80.7mpg.
When we first drove the A1, we were a little underwhelmed. Perhaps we took the Audi build quality for granted, but there was little new ground broken.
We wondered how it would fare but it seems we needn’t have worried. Those people looking for the Audi of superminis found exactly what they were looking for in the pert shape of the A1 and over 500,000 have been sold. The script isn’t going to change too dramatically moving forward.
This A1 is a bit better looking, a bit nicer inside and a bit more efficient. Marginal gains, you might say, but they all serve to reinforce its position as something a little way removed from the supermini standard.
Its commitment to efficiency and its class-leading residual values make it a smarter selection than many realise. View the Audi A1 as a Volkswagen Polo with tinsel and you’ve pretty much missed the point.
Facts & figures
Model: Audi A1
Price: From £14,500
Engine: One-litre three-cylinder petrol engine producing 93bhp
Performance: 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds; top speed 116mph
Economy: 67.3mpg
CO2 rating: 99g/km