The new, second-generation Audi A1 Sportback has only just been revealed, but already there are reports that a high-performance Audi S1 flagship is on the way, complete with all-wheel drive and a meaty 186 kW.
According to Autocar, the new S1 Sportback is scheduled to arrive late in 2019, boasting the Volkswagen Group’s familiar EA888 turbocharged 2,0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine tuned to deliver more than its does in the Golf GTI Performance, and sending this oomph to all four corners.
The report suggests that with a Haldex-style quattro system and additional power (about 16 kW more than the outgoing model, if the above estimate proves accurate), the new version of Ingolstadt’s baby hot hatch should be a smidgen quicker from standstill to 100 km/h than its 5,9-second forebear (which is no longer offered in South Africa).
Jürgen Löffler, the man responsible for the new A1’s exterior styling, told Autocar that the brief was to make the standard version the “sportiest car in its class”, which bodes well for this rumoured S1.
“You could say we sent the new A1 to the gym, because the outgoing car looks a little bit round in comparison. The new platform’s proportions have helped this a lot. It’s become lower, wider, longer, with shorter overhangs. So the base was already much better proportionally,” Löffler told the British publication.
According to the report, the Audi S1 will build on the standard A1’s newfound rally-style appearance with an even more aggressive body kit and a larger rear wing.
