Arriving nearly 10 years after BMW launched the first generation MINI, the A1 gives Audi a new contender in the premium-badged small car category, going up against Citroen’s DS3 and Alfa Romeo’s MiTo, too.
With some 18,000 models expected to be sold every year, Audi is pulling out all the stops. There’s a wide range of turbocharged engines, a long list of options for personalisation and a focus on quality unseen in the class before. The icing on the cake is a price range that starts from £13,140.
So, what’s the A1 like to drive, and is it good enough to knock the MINI off the top spot? Well, the A1 is brimming with showroom appeal. Its chunky shape is attractive, classy and every inch the small Audi, with its bold front end, coupé-style sloping tailgate and optional contrasting roof rails.
Whether you go for SE, Sport or S line trim, you’ll get alloy wheels, stop-start, air-con and a six-speaker CD stereo with iPod connectivity – so there’s no lack of equipment, either. Of the three trims, S line (which we’ve driven here) is the most visually aggressive, with 17-inch alloys and a sharp bodykit.
But next year the A1 will be available with a £1,950 Competition Line pack, which adds even racier looks and stickers to make the car resemble the firm’s classic Quattro rally car.
Inside, the cabin offers quality none of its rivals can match. The dash is covered in a neat soft-touch moulding, all the switches feel slick, and the latest pop-up MMI cabin control system from the flagship A8 is available, too.
As with the exterior, there’s scope for personalisation, with contrasting trim inserts and a range of packs that include kit such as 3D sat-nav, Bluetooth and a 20GB music hard drive.
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