Superiorly small

Road Test

Bringing premium quality to the small car market, the Audi A1 now promises lower EU6-compliant emissions and greater fuel economy but with all the luxurious trappings it is known for. Richard Gooding investigates the revisions.

The Audi A1 has been the springboard for the German company’s premium car range since 2010. Made in Belgium it is based on the Volkswagen Group’s ‘PQ25’ small car platform shared with the contemporary Volkswagen Polo and SEAT Ibiza. Positioned as an upmarket small car, the A1 takes the traditional Audi qualities of a high quality interior and the latest technology innovations and downsizes them to a small car package.

Subtle tweaks
Available in three and five-door ‘Sportback’ versions, a 99g/km, 74.3mpg 1.6-litre TDI version has been available since late 2011, but revisions to the diesel unit in November 2014 ushered in a drop of 7g/km and an improved claimed combine cycle fuel economy figure of 80.7mpg as well as subtle tweaks to the exterior and interior of the car.

The latest A1 looks little different to its predecessor: our Nano Grey test car looked handsome for one so small. The S line trim option, as featured on KS15 OWK, adds £1,995 to the basic price SE 1.6 TDI model making our test car a not inconsiderable £18,715. Ten‑spoke 17-inch high-gloss alloy wheels and LED lights front and rear lift the looks still further. This particular car also featured over £5,000 worth of optional equipment, taking the total as tested to £23,930. While options such as the £695 panoramic sunroof and £1,495 ‘Technology Pack’ are very nice things to have, they do bump up the price.

The three-door A1’s curved roof styling and black headlining gives the luxuriously‑trimmed cabin a coupé-like feel. A low driving position and high window line adds to that impression and Audi’s reputation for sumptuous interiors is well-deserved here: the A1 feels beautifully well-built. There are lots of tactile interior controls and the optional Audi ‘Concert’ sound system with CD/DAB/SD/SIM and iPod capability fitted to our test car sounded more costly than its £255 list price would suggest. A colour 6.5‑inch screen set into the dashboard is accessed by the multimedia interface control wheel in the centre console.

Start-stop system and energy recuperation
Every A1 is fitted with an automatic start‑stop system with energy recuperation as standard and Audi claims efficiency improvements of around eight per cent, even with power increases of 10 per cent across the range. All petrol and diesel versions of the A1 are Euro 6-compliant. Fitted on Sport versions and above, further energy-saving tips can be gleaned from the Driver Information System. In 115bhp 1.6 TDI S line guise, the A1 emits 93g/km of CO2, but with perky performance and a slick five-speed manual gearbox, the A1 feels more sporty than eco.

Maximum power is reached between 3,500‑4,500rpm, while 250Nm (184lb ft) of torque makes itself known from 1,500‑3,000rpm. The 0-62mph dash is dispensed with in 9.4 seconds, while top speed is a respectable 124mph. That low‑down torque makes overtaking easy and the A1 S line 1.6 TDI pulls well in top gear. Audi claims 65.7mpg on the combined cycle, but over a 355-mile test, we achieved a more realistic value of 54.4.

On those larger wheels, the A1 rides in a firm fashion, but not uncomfortably so on smooth surfaces. A fair amount of road noise filters through into the cabin, though, so smaller wheels and tyres may benefit both acoustic levels and CO2 emissions here. The A1 feels very surefooted and solid on the move, handling sharply in S line trim. The electromechanical steering system has a nice weight but is short on ultimate feedback, and while the TDI engine is unrefined on start-up and idle, it dies down to a muted level once on the move. Whichever situation it finds itself in, the A1 is a small car which is equally happy cruising on a motorway, tackling a narrow B-road or nipping through urban streets.

Petrol or diesel?
Although the 1.6 TDI is the lowest‑emitting A1, Audi also offers a 97g/km three‑cylinder 1.0-litre TFSI petrol model for those who don’t wish to drive diesel. The A1 1.0 shares its engine with the latest petrol‑powered Polo BlueMotion TSI and has a claimed fuel consumption figure of 67.3mpg on the combined cycle. With a lower BIK rate of 14 per cent as opposed to the 16 per cent of the TDI model, it loses out to the TDI on claimed fuel economy.