Audi A1 1.4 TFSI
It was only a matter of time before a premium manufacturer joined BMW in the niche created by the Mini
What is it?
If you don?t need huge amounts of space from your everyday car, but are accustomed to the finer things in life there’s been little to choose from in recent years.
Of course, it was only a matter of time before a premium manufacturer joined BMW in the niche created by the Mini, and this is precisely the thinking behind the Audi A1, the eagerly anticipated upmarket supermini which has just arrived in the UK.
The new model comes complete with all the nipping-around-town and easy-to-park dimensions that you’d expect from the segment, but it also gets the quality interior that you’d expect from the VW Group’s luxury brand.
Unlike the quirky aluminium-bodied oddity A2, which Audi produced from 1996 to 2005, the A1 is a perfectly conventional supermini ? one that shares its underpinnings with other small cars in the VW family like the Polo and the Seat Ibiza.
The familiar 120bhp 1.4-litre TFSI petrol engine gets to 62mph in 8.9 seconds, and emits 124g/km CO2 when coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox.
What’s it like?
Sitting in the front two seats of the A1 you would be hard pushed to tell that this was the new entry-level Audi ? the fit, finish and feel of the cockpit are just as luxurious as its larger siblings. The interior has Audi stamped all over it, even to the extent that the seat goes far lower than any normal-sized driver would need.
The Audi traits extend far beyond the cabin, though. The A1 gets the firm ride you would expect from the German brand and is immeadiately evident even on a short trip over the UK’s stippled roads.
The 1.4-litre engine is one of the picks of the range, and suits a manual gearbox far better than an auto, especially as the latter is a single clutch affair rather than the smooth DSG which other Audis get. The advantage of the auto is that it ducks under the 120g/km emissions mark, making it much friendlier to company car drivers, and their accountants. In contrast, the manual emits 124g/km.
The A1 is pleasingly responsive, even to the extent that it struggles to get all its power down without the front wheels twitching with minor torque steer. This is no hot hatch, but its spritely performance makes it a more than worthy rival to the Mini Cooper.
However, the A1 is unlikely to stimulate the trendsetters like the Mini did back in 2001. The supermini’s looks are inoffensive, but utterly ordinary, and that big bum won’t please everyone.
Should I give it garage space?
There’s no point pretending the A1 is cheap, but many buyers will feel they are getting value for money thanks to the premium feel of the interior and the chance to own an Audi without buying a bigger car than they ideally need.
For those already used to cars from the so-called premium class, the A1 might not be all you hope. The looks alone are not special enough to justify the car, even if it does look a lot better with the silver rails on its roof.
What is hard to ignore though is that this is fundamentally just a posh version of the other superminis from the VW Group and as a drivers? car, or even a practical proposition, the A1 is no better than the likes of the much cheaper Polo or Ibiza.
This means the A1 ends up feeling like a mildly pleasing car rather than something truly special.
Specifications
Model: Audi A1 1.4 TFSI
Price: £15,670
Engine: 1.4-litre 4 cylinder petrol
Power: 120bhp
Torque: 147lb ft
Performance: 0-62mph ? 8.9secs
Economy: 53.3mpg
CO2: 124g/km
Credit: Fifth Gear
No comments:
Post a Comment