Audi A1 Sportback (2018) Review

June 2018

Audi A1 revealed

The A1 Sportback has grown significantly in length – extended by 56 millimetres, it now measures 4.03 metres. At the same time, its width has remained almost the same at 1.74 metres, while just 1.41 metres high.

In the UK the new A1 Sportback will be offered in conjunction with SE, Sport and S line specification options. The latter gets larger air inlets, additional sill trims, an elongated slit centrally below the bonnet with two fins and a larger rear wing. In the top version at launch – the 2.0 TFSI with 200PS which will be available only in S line form - twin tailpipes also add to the air of strength and purpose.

The new A1 Sportback is available in a choice of ten colours which, as an option, can be combined with a contrasting roof colour extending from the A-pillar to the roof edge spoiler. The exterior mirror housings, the side front spoiler lips and the side sills are also available in a contrasting colour.

Two Launch Edition models will be available in the UK at market introduction. Taking the S line specification as a foundation, and offered in a range of vivid colours, one will have a design focus and the other a more sporting slant.

Each will feature elements such as large 18-inch wheels in either bronze, white or black depending on the exterior finish, darkened LED rear lights referencing the classic Sport quattro, exclusive black colouring for the Audi rings in the Singleframe and the model identifiers on the tailgate and various exterior and interior styling packages, including one with bronze accents.

In the driver-focused cabin with its emotive, customisable design the eye is drawn in particular to the compact unit of air vents and the digital instrument cluster. All of the controls and touch-screen displays are strongly driver-oriented.

The cabin is also much more spacious, making life much more comfortable for the driver, front passenger and rear passengers. Despite the compact exterior dimensions and the tapering roof line, adults in the rear seats still enjoy plenty of head and leg room. Luggage capacity has increased by 65 litres to 335 litres, and with the rear seats folded down, this increases to 1090 litres. The load sill height is a comfortably low 67 centimetres.

The new Audi A1 Sportback is fit for the digital future. Even the entry level SE version features a fully digital instrument cluster with a high-resolution, 10.25-inch display and a multifunction steering wheel as standard.

The optional Audi virtual cockpit with an extended range of functions presents comprehensive and diverse information such as animated navigation maps and graphics of some driver assistance systems in the driver’s direct field of vision.

Whether around town or travelling further afield the powerful and efficient engines in the new A1 Sportback range measure up to the task in hand. There is a choice of efficient TFSI engines with outputs ranging from 95PS to 200PS, all enhanced by turbocharging, direct injection and a particulate filter as standard.

Three engines will initially be available: the 30 TFSI, a three-cylinder unit with a 1.0 litre capacity and 116PS of power, a 150PS 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with the cylinder on demand efficiency system (COD) in the 35 TFSI, and a 2.0-litre, 200PS TFSI with 320 Nm of torque that will power the overtly performance-focused top model.

These will be followed shortly afterwards by the 25 TFSI base engine with 95PS output. All engines can be linked to either a manual gearbox or the seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, with the exception of the 200PS variant which uses a six-speed S tronic transmission as standard.

April 2019

Rumour that Audi has dropped the 7-speed DQ200 s-tronic with the 1.0TSI engine in the A1.

August 2019

Audi confirmed to a reader that Ausi A1 1.5 s-tronic comes with the DQ200 7-speed dry clutch transmission and the 2.0 comes with the DQ250 6-speed wert clutch transmission.