This is Audi's latest attempt to dump the Mini from its pedestal as the world's greatest small/compact/hatchback. The supermini market is starting to heat up with the new Fiat 500, the evergreen Mini Cooper, and now theres the Audi A1. Now that it has finally revealed itself to the world, apart from its teaser videos and the innovative day time running lights which do not appear as LED dots anymore, this is a serious hit.
Well the first thing I noticed was the oddly coloured A to C pillar roof arch which I assume that is Audi's attempt to make the A1 a little less serious than the rest of cars in its stable. Apparently you can have that in various colours and that may seem like Audi's trying a little too hard, but its a nice-to-have option. The R8 inspired day time running lights is simply genius on a car like this as it adds an upmarket feel to the A1. And that interior which is said to be inspired by aeroplanes, that's obvious if you notice the jet-turbine-like air con vents which gives the car a cool retro feel but I think its still doesn't give as retro a vibe as the Mini does. The A1 is set to be well spec-ed too with Audi's 'infotainment' system which is usually meant for the bigger boys, apparently there will be 20GB in the car's hard drive for music and satellite navigation and it comes with a Bose sound system. I doubt that will ever make it to Singapore since we see very little of the gadgetry that is made standard in Europe, nevertheless, its still better to hope!
As for the heart of the A1, its either a 1.4TFSi with 120bhp, capable of 0-100km/h in 9.2 seconds, or 9.1 with the optional flappy-paddle gearbox. The other, is the entry level 1.2TFSI which churns out 85bhp. There's going to be an S-line version of the A1 and a 5 door version, but these will be available at a later date.
On an ending note, aeroplane inspired interior? That's like slapping Saab in the face but as a whole, I think the A1 will not disappoint.
audi, a1, small hatchbacks and 2 more...
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