Pros
- Insanely attractive
- Powerful, but efficient
- Excellent S tronic transmission and 2.0T engine
Cons
- No standard rear-park distance control
- Rearview camera also optional
- Only one standard size USB-A port
Styling
Ingolstadt's new baby appears on the landscape wearing an aggressive but winning smile. After all, it's looking sharper than the other contenders in its segment, has more presence, looks more exclusive, and most of all, it attracts the most jealous looks from bystanders. The previous A1 was cute, but the new A1 says "cute can go fly a kite" as it shoots by, brakes hard, does a handbrake turn and slots perfectly into its valet parking space.
Our S Line test model had a few extras added to make it extra appealing, including metallic paint (R2 500), and Audi Sport cast alloy wheels (R15 000), but we think it looks striking enough just the way it left the factory. Below the bonnet's leading edge are three flat slits that pay homage to the Sport quattro, the brand’s rally icon from 1984. With the S line styling add-ons, the A1 gets larger air inlets, additional sill trims, a larger rear wing, and the aforementioned slits get stretched out a bit further.
The A1 stimulates my saliva glands from every angle, but when I glance at those shapely LED taillights, it seriously makes me consider putting a vital organ on the black market.
Related: New Audi A1 first drive
On the inside
In my opinion, Audi and Volvo are currently leading the way with minimalist, high tech interior design that is as functional as it is fashionable. One of my favourite interior features is the slate grey "polygon structure" trim inserts, which I can only describe as a kind of robotic snakeskin.
The latest incarnation of Audi's MMI infotainment system is highly intuitive. I'm not much of a natural tech person, but not once did I struggle to get it to do something I wanted it to do. The MMI Navigation plus (at a R24 000) was a breeze to use, and toggling between Apple CarPlay and the MMI system itself was as easy as pressing an on-screen button. If you spec MMI Navigation, you will have a 10.1-inch touchscreen at your disposal; but if not, a non- touch-enabled 8,8-inch screen is standard.
I mostly streamed music from Spotify as I drove, but switching to music on a USB port served to highlight the fantastic sound quality from the eleven-speaker Bang & Olufsen system, which forms part of the Technology package (R9 900). The sound system is complemented by Audi's virtual cockpit and the Audi smartphone interface which allows you to access Android Auto and CarPlay.
Related: Old vs. new Audi A1: Top 6 differences
Space, comfort, and practicality
The A1 was never a large vehicle to begin with, but this time around the designers did manage to create more space for both front- and rear-seat passengers. It will be a tight fit for three adults in the back, but two average-sized over-eighteens will be quite comfortable, as long as the stilettos are left at home.
The boot was miniscule in the previous model, but its size is now more suited to the modern A1 driver's everyday demands. Two carry-on suitcases and 2 or 3 soft bags will easily fit into the 335 litre cargo area. The rear seat can be split and folded on the odd days when longer items need to be loaded.
Standard convenience features include rain-sensing wipers, an anti-dazzle rear-view mirror, electrically adjustable side mirrors, a USB port, CD player (in the cubby hole) Bluetooth, voice control, cruise control, a leather steering wheel, climate control, a tyre pressure sensor, a space-saver spare wheel, and brake energy recuperation. To check out the entire list of standard features across all derivatives, please visit the Audi A1 microsite here.
Safety
It's German and premium, so need we say more? The A1 has six airbags, and the usual host of three-letter acronyms to help keep you in the land of the living. ABS, EBD, ESC (electronic stability and traction control), and also hill-start assist, easy-to-reach ISOFIX fittings, LED daytime running lamps, standard LED headlights, and automatic headlight levelling. I am a bit disappointed that you have to pay for the privilege of having rear-parking sensors and a rearview camera (R 5 700) in a car with a base price of nearly R500k, though. Our model also had the semi-autonomous Parking Aid Plus package fitted which will set you back another cool R 10 500.
Performance and drive
The 40 TFSI nomenclature refers to a two-litre engine, and oh, what an engine it is! Incidentally, it's the same power plant as you find in the Polo GTI (with which it also shares its platform). Turbocharged, of course, highly vocal, and smooth as a python's underbelly. The 40 TFSI gets Audi's Dynamic Package as standard, and this includes sport suspension, red brake callipers and larger brake discs, a sound actuator, and Audi Drive Select. Sport seats are also standard, but if you want the Sports contour flat-bottomed leather steering wheel with shift paddles, prepare to pay an extra R 3 400. The steering wheel offers plenty of adjustment, and you'll find your ideal driving position in no time at all.
Tearing around Clarence Drive between Rooi-Els and Gordon's Bay in Dynamic mode, the 40 TFSI pops and burbles with every downshift. The front-wheel driven A1 is perfectly balanced, and the ultra-responsive S tronic six-speed dual-clutch auto box is so empathic to your needs, you can leave it to its own devices. However, if you want to fully experience the A1's true personality, you really should take care of those gear changes yourself. With a light yet solid click of the gearshift paddles, you can pre-empt the road curves, enter with deliberation, slice that apex with surgical precision, and exit like a supersonic turbo-bat from the underworld. Whoohoo!
The perfectly tuned suspension allows for sporty driving without sacrificing comfort altogether, and even with the low-profile tyres fitted to the optional 18-inch wheels, the ride was never overly harsh or noisy. Just watch out for those speed bumps! This is probably the most fun you can have without spending a small fortune on the upcoming S1 model. Our A1 test car really could have spent more time in my care, I think - it was that enjoyable to drive.
Fuel economy
In the A1 40 TFSI, I thought my driving style would make a huge difference to my average consumption, but it didn't. It hovered around a happy seven litres per 100 km in Efficiency as well as Dynamic mode. (Audi Drive Select also has Auto- and configurable Individual modes.)
In the city, Efficiency mode will eventually bring down your average consumption, but still, seven is a figure that isn't disappointing if you consider how much reaction the engine gives you from a mere blip of the throttle in Dynamic mode. 147 kW and 320 Nm is a hearty helping of power and torque, especially when it's on tap in a hatchback weighing in at a trim 1260 kilograms.
Pricing
The A1 40 TFSI (priced from R488 000) does not have many competitors: the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class are both bigger cars that compete against the Audi A3. But, seeing as this particularly powerful A1 does not come cheap, many premium hatchback buyers will perhaps consider these other German cars anyway. The BMW 118i Sport Line is priced at R504 498 and the A200 hatch Style has a price of R500 012 (but neither can touch the A1 40 TFSI on performance). There's the Renault Clio RS 18F1 too, at R495 900, but it's not built like an Audi and the interior styling doesn't come close.
The 40 TFSI's closest direct competitor is probably the MINI Cooper S Hatch 5-door auto, at R473 380. Then there are the other "superminis" that compete with the less powerful 30 TFSI and 35 TFSI, such as the Abarth 500 Competizione 1.4T... and yet, none of them compare, on looks alone! The Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4T is probably also worth considering ...but in this price range I would opt for something German, which brings me back to the audacious A1 as my first choice.
Verdict
The powerful and luscious-looking A1 made every boring errand fun and exciting. Will someone pick up Dad's medicine from DisChem? Sure! Who will pop out to the shops for a bag of lettuce leaves? Me! Me!
Usually I prefer sensible SUVs because of their everyday practicality, but after the sheer joy of driving the A1 40T FSI all week, I didn't want to go back to the proverbial automotive suburbia. If you can afford to spend a fair bit of cash on a small German car, the A1 is the one; trust me.
Expert rating: 4.5 out of 5
Base price: R488 000
With options: R584 400
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