THE question on the lips of every member of CAR’s test team was whether or not Audi’s new A1 had enough spunk to take the fight to the current boutique hatch fold comprised of the extremely successful Mini Cooper and very funky Citroën DS3, rivals that fought out to a surprising draw in CAR’s July 2010 comparative test. Similar to both in some respects and yet with its own subtleties that make it a unique offering, we’ll start off by saying that the A1 is also very much a heart-over-head purchase…
What Audi has managed to do with the A1, and quite admirably so, is shake off some of the predicable design elements of its larger siblings – many of which, when viewed from right up front, appear at the very least like one other model in the company’s vast line-up. Instead, the eye is met with quite an aggressive sight when gazing upon the A1’s front end. The familiar Audi oversized grille, though slightly redesigned, no longer totally dominates. As part of the Audi A1’s rotund shape, the bonnet appears much like a clam shell, spilling over into the fenders and the LED-adorned headlamps help to create an almost menacing look.
With a “wheel at each corner” design, the A1’s stance is quite substantial. The wheelarches are pronounced, and our test unit was kitted out with optional 17-inch double-spoke Quattro GmbH alloys over the standard 16-inch ten-spoke items. Our test unit was quite conservatively finished – the roof arches weren’t finished in a contrasting colour, for example.
The rear end is quite understated too… We liked the tailgate spoiler but would’ve preferred a more extroverted exhaust tailpipe design.
The first thing many of us noticed on entering the Audi A1’s cabin is just how much room there is for the front passengers. One of the usual niceties that wasn’t ticked off before our A1 was delivered was that of leather trim, but admittedly the houndstooth cloth on the optional sports seats is quite attractive and based on touch and feel alone we’d assume the material to be quite hardy. You can’t miss the usual classy Audi fare, like the three-spoke steering wheel with its thick boss, satin-finish highlighting and neat facia layout with easy-to-use controls on the centre stack, as well as soft touch surfaces throughout.
The only deviations from the traditional simplicity of Audi interiors are a quartet of oversized cylindrical ventilation outlets (colour-coded to match the seat colour if you opt out of the usual dark grey) and a prominent screen just aft of the two central vents – but Audi has cleverly incorporated a fold-down function into the unit’s design.
Options that graced the features list on this car included the easy-tooperate MMI 35 multi-media interface with navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, a centre armrest, LED interior lighting package and a panoramic glass sunroof with tilt and slide functions.
A1 is expected to be a premium vehicle but there are a few flaws… The lever used to unlatch the bonnet in the driver’s footwell was unimpressively flimsy. Similarly, on the air-con controls, while the rotary knobs felt substantial and “safe-like” in operation, the plastic faces that display their respective purposes wiggled on all three…
It’s quite easy for taller individuals to get comfortable behind the leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel due to the column’s rake and reach adjustment as well as that for the seat (including lumbar). What might confound those who venture into the rear is how much legroom there is. The A1 may only be effectively a 2+2, but it has to be said that the space rearward of the front seat appears more substantial than its rivals.
Unfortunately the Audi A1’s boot space is a little disappointing, with only 136 dm³ of luggage room aft of the rear bench. A space saver spare wheel is nestled under the carpeted floor board.
Flick the chrome button on the familiar keyfob and you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s a traditional ignition slot for the key that flips out but, as the site on our test unit bears testament, you’d be embarrassed to find you’re scratching a plastic wall. That’s because this particular model has been equipped with keyless access and remote ignition.
Depress the clutch and give the starter button a push and the 1,6- litre turbodiesel thrums to life in a tone that some might consider a tad agricultural for this kind of money. In its defence, the motor revs smoothly and makes its peak power of 77 kW at 4 400 r/min. Maximum torque of 250 N.m is achieved between 1 500 and 2 500 r/min and for an extra 1 000 revolutions or so this unit feels at its most lively.
With such a humble power output, it goes without saying that overtaking acceleration is slightly compromised, with the figures achieved during our test routine inferior to its rivals and a zero to 100 km/h sprint in a tardy 11,52 seconds.
Then again, our calculated Fuel Index works out to an impressive 4,7 litres/100 km, which we came close to matching in a real-world test (although Audi claims a figure of only 3,9 litres/100 km) and with a CO2 rating of only 103 g/km it beats emissions taxation too. An automatic stop/start system is standard but can be deactivated.
The five-speed manual gearbox makes the most of this powerplant’s characteristics and actually makes the A1 fun to drive courtesy of a short and precise shift action. Clutch feel is slightly on the weaker side, and because of the diesel unit’s initial lack of grunt, it is quite easy to stall in situations when quick getaways are required.
The A1 rides quite comfortably, but overall we can’t admit to it being better than, say, a Polo. While not glaringly so at highspeed, it feels quite choppy on certain surfaces at low speed, which is perhaps due to the combination of optional low-profile (215/40 R17) Goodyear tyres our test unit came equipped with, and the car’s short wheelbase.
The MacPherson-strut front suspension and torsion beam rear set-up isn’t as sophisticated as the set-ups used in the rest of the Audi model range, but belie what can be quite a fun car to drive enthusiastically through tight corners and sweeping bends.
Our ten-stop emergency braking exercise was completed with ease, and the Audi A1 racked up an aboveaverage performance.
TEST SUMMARY
The Audi A1 doesn’t move the boutique hatch game on in any significant way. That said, its success is virtually guaranteed due to the desirability of the Audi brand. We said in the beginning that this is a heart over head choice, and given that BMW chose to offer Mini as a stand-alone brand, while Citroën has always been a little left-field with its products, the A1 is undoubtedly up against very stiff competition. But the Audi is quite different to these rivals. It is a more mature offering compared with the extremely “alternative” Mini and very colourful Citroën. Will that stop the A1 from being a success? We think not…
