Photos of the new Audi A1 Sportback have been doing the rounds all week. It seems that the material Audi planned to release this morning was leaked, chances are you might already have seen these photos. Nonetheless, Audi have officially made the details final and the second generation Audi A1 is now official!
The Audi A1 Sportback you see in the pictures is significantly bigger than the A1 it replaces. The A1 has become one of the most popular city cars thanks to its diminutive size and its premium brand image. It grows by 56 mm in length for the second generation but retains similar proportions to the older model.
It’s unlikely that this generation will receive a 3 door model, Audi have built the A1 on a platform shared with the new Polo which does not have a three door model either. There are clear design features that hark back to the Audi Ur-Quattro including that bonnet vent. There are other aspects of the design which take inspiration from Audi’s current range, the Q2 inspired rear pillars for example.
The trim you see in the photos carries the S line equipment with the larger air inlets, additional sill trims and the central slit. Not all of the A1’s will carry the same equipment and this model is called the “Edition” model. The full-LED lights are also optional. The A1 Sportback will be available in 10 colours and with contrasting A-pillar’s an option.
It’s the inside which makes the headlines though. Audi have managed to find an additional 65 litres of space giving you 335 litres with the rear seats up and 1,090 litres with the rear seats down.
The dashboard is fully digital, using a 10.25 inch display and the option of the Audi Virtual Cockpit. MMI is taken care of with a 10.1 inch touch screen. The latest generation operating system is available with Apple CarPlay, Android Audi and various other interfaces available. Sound systems can be speced to include the 560 watt Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System.
Safety is taken care of too with a variety of driver assistance systems. Lane departure warning for example, Audi pre sense front, adaptive speed assist and a reversing camera.
A range of engines will be available from launch in a range of petrol engines. There will be a three-cylinder 94 bhp model, a 1.5 litre model and a range topping four-cylinder model offering 197 bhp. Six speed manual gearboxes will be standard with seven-speed S tronic automatic boxes an option.
The new Audi A1 should be available to order by summer 2018. It will launch in Europe during the third quarter of 2018 with German pricing set to dip below 20,000 euros.
So, it’s a luxury VW Polo? An overpriced Skoda Fabia?