Late last month I travelled to Germany to drive the new Audi A1. But as usual, any trip to Ingolstadt is incomplete without visiting the Audi museum.
Here I saw, in the metal, for the first time, the fearsome Project Rosemeyer concept car from the turn of the century. At the time of its reveal back then I remember wishing that Audi would build it.
Thankfully they did not.
It’s still an awe-inspiring creation to behold, but having now seen the Rosemeyer in the metal, I’m convinced the sight of this post-apocalypse looking thing would psychologically scar children, and cause the elderly to have heart attacks. It is probably the most evil creation on four wheels I’ve ever seen. The Le Mans concept, the car that ended up being Audi’s R8 supercar most certainly had a far wiser design.
Few people understand completely how important it was for Audi to get its first supercar absolutely right. For a company with startlingly ambitious long-term prestige goals, getting the most exclusive expression of your brand wrong would be a costly disaster.
A year before Rosemeyer, Audi did, in fact, make a costly mistake. It launched the premium-priced, advanced and all-aluminium A2 in the supermini segment. Now, remember, in 1999 the new Mini had not even gone on sale yet. As such, the world was not quite ready for a small car with a big price. And perhaps most importantly, Audi also learned that the four rings didn’t quite possess enough cachet yet to lure premium, brand-aware shoppers. The A2, then, was a car ahead of its time.
Things are different now. For one, the Mini has shown that there are more than enough buyers who are willing to pay more for… well, less, because a premium badge on the bonnet can more than make up the shortfall. Also, Audi of 2010 is unrecognisable from Audi in 1999.
The rise of Audi has been so immense, in fact, that it is likely that the VW Group’s Ingolstadt’s brand will beat its own target of becoming the world’s leading premium car-maker, based on sales, by 2015, by a few years.
And in terms of style and image, many consider it to be the leader amongst the German premium brands already. Consider this: In the shop adjoining the museum in Ingolstadt, you can buy various Audi branded goodies. These range from model cars to a smallish suitcase with a startling price tag of R30 000. I doubt that in 1999 anyone would pay R30 000 for an Audi suitcase. And yet, as I stood there in that shop, gazing at the beautiful carbon-fibre and suede creation, I could hear my credit card whimpering in my wallet…
In less than a decade, then, Audi’s image has sky-rocketed. As such, I’m going to stick my neck out and say its latest – and most affordable – model, the A1, doesn’t even have to be very good to be a smash-hit sales success.
You can read my full driving impression in the upcoming August issue of CAR Magazine, on sale 19 July, but right now I’ll say this; the fact that the Audi A1 is actually very impressive, when it doesn’t really even need to be, should send shivers down the corridors in Munich.
Although based on the Volkswagen Polo, there’s nothing shared visually – well, nothing that I could pick up. The front-end is the by-now-default Audi effort, but it actually works remarkably well on the small A1. Audi’s trademark LED detailing adds some menace, too. I like the stance of the thing – the wheels are pushed out to the corners, the track quite wide and the roofline sweeping with a steeply raked C-pillar. Audi says there are more than 800 exterior configurations courtesy of a mind-boggling number of customisation options.
Inside, you get the same type of quality as you’d find on any other Audi – this means soft-touch plastics and convincing aluminium trim accents. Audi says it was important that even the relatively affordable A1 should boast a true Audi interior. They’ve certainly managed to do that.
Seeing as it’s got a comparatively wide track, I was pleased to find occupant space being plentiful. There’s certainly no shoulder rubbing, and I managed the sit-behind-myself test quite easily. Getting in and out of the rear is, however, a bit frustrating, because the front seatback doesn’t hook into position and keep falling backwards as you try to get out, or in. It’s an annoying oversight. Also, the pedals on our left-hand drive test units were slightly offset, so the driving position was compromised.
Audi claims the A1 is one of the most “plugged-in” cars on the market. A variety of info-tainment options are offered, but the most impressive is the MMI Navigation Plus package which is a premium media centre that consists of a 60 GB hard drive, the radio unit, MMI control terminal and fold-out colour display. It also has a drive for audio and video DVDs and intelligent voice control that understands 12 languages. You can therefore put in a destination in the navigation system completely by voice, in one go…
South Africa will be getting a full line-up of engines and transmissions when the A1 arrives here in February next year. The range kicks off with the 1,2 TFSI with a five-speed manual transmission. The little engine kicks out 63 kW and 160 N.m of torque. These figures look weak, but on the road the car feels quite lively, courtesy of good throttle response, low down torque (maximum on offer from 1 500 r/min) and a surprisingly naughty engine note. Still, a 0-100 km/h time of 11,7 seconds means it is no robot racer. However, it makes up for this by sipping fuel at the rate of only 5,1 litres/100 km.
Next up is the 1,6 TDI model, again coupled with a five-speed manual ‘box. This engine, shared with the Polo, pushes out 77 kW and 250 N.m of torque, again developed from low down (1 500 r/min). Unlike the Polo equipped with this engine, I did not find the A1 so frustratingly easy to stall. Audi claims a 0-100 km/h time of 10,5 seconds and a 190 km/h top speed. All A1s are equipped with stop/start technology that switches off the engine when you come to a complete stop and restarts at the touch of the throttle pedal. This system helps the 1,6 TDI to achieve a miraculous claimed fuel consumption figure of only 3,9 litres/100 km.
Finally, two 1,4 TFSI models are on the way, powered by a 90 kW/200 N.m engine coupled with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed S tronic transmission. This model is claimed to sprint to 100 km/h in 8,9 seconds and reach a 203 km/h top speed. Fuel consumption is a claimed 5,3 litres/100 km (5,2 for the S tronic). If you’re a performance addict, this will have to be the A1 of choice for now, at least until the S1 with its 132 kW engine arrives four months later.
On the road, the A1 rides and steers like a bigger car, and certainly in a less frenetic, “connected” way than a Mini, for example. For some people this will be a plus, while for others a negative.
Overall, the A1 – judging by its design, packaging, quality and drivetrain efficiency – is an impressive package. Ultimately it may not quite have the performance some would-be owners would’ve liked, but then again it is likely to be very well-priced. Audi talks of a starting price of R200 000 for the A1 1,2 TFSI, rising to around R250 000 for top-line variants.
Many people say there is no such thing as a “sure thing”. I disagree. The Audi A1 is.
