New Audi A1 has upmarket appeal

Audi is on a much-needed new model assault. If you are not moving forward in this tough economic climate, you are dead.

In my opinion, over the past few years Audi hasn’t done enough in terms of bringing exciting products to go head to head with their BMW and Mercedes-Benz rivals. But if you look at what has been recently launched in the all-new Q8, the new generation Q3 and the premium A1, plus the coming RS models, you get the feeling that things are starting to happen again for the brand. And this week it is all about the A1 40 TFSI S line that we have on test.

In its latest form, the A1 40 TFSI is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that delivers 147kW of power and 320Nm of torque running through a six-speed S tronic transmission to the front wheels.

Now, there is no easy way to put this topic on the table, but I must, it’s my job. It’s the ‘’P word’’ and we all know how quickly the ‘’P word’’ has gone viral in South Africa. I don’t do politics, I do motoring, so other than to wish everybody would engage in a civilised way, I am going to hide behind my protective wall of fast cars. Of course, the ‘’P word’’ I am referring to, which I think annoys Audi almost as much as the other ‘’P word’’ seems to annoy Julius Malema, is Polo. There I said it, Polo.

Audi’s somewhat less well- off cousin, the Polo GTI, debuted last year and runs the same engine and basic car set-up but at some R90 000 less. But this all said, premium costs, and although they are spawned from the same family tree, you can always feel that slightly more upmarket appeal the Audi exudes.

Call it snob appeal, call it what you want, those that can will opt for the A1 over a Polo. Now, there are already a few rumours around that an even hotter 186kW quattro S1 will debut later in the year. But our local Audi people informed me there is no plan to bring a new generation S1 to market, so the car you see here is currently the most potent A1 you can buy off the showroom floor today.

So the A1 40 TFSI was booked to have a run at Gerotek for us to get some road test data to go with the everyday driving impression of the car. The straight-line stuff sees the 0 to 100 km/h sprint being done in a relatively fuss free 6.7 sec, which is only two tenths off claimed.

The top speed comes in at 235 km/h, which is exactly as claimed. I say relatively fuss free because as easy as it is to activate and use the launch control function, this system did like grippy type tar. If the surface is a little bit slippery then the A1 wants to wheelspin and the traction control system kicks in and kills the rpm. Then your mad dash to the end of the drag strip or the next traffic light becomes somewhat slower thanks to the stop start power delivery thing.

This has always been the joys of trying to funnel lots of power and almost instant torque through the two front wheels only. But when it sticks, it sticks it down and gets going in a way you would expect from a hatch with this level of power and torque on tap.

I have to add that the power delivery is so linear the A1 never feels that fast, but this smoothness is deceptive as explained by the good test numbers achieved. Being a mostly urban orientated offering, although it will eat up the open road comfortably, fuel consumption will be of importance and here the tested number came in at 7.9-litres per 100 km.

I thought this was pretty good considering I always found myself enjoying the peppy drive the car offered as often as possible. It’s meant to be a fun drive and it was. Despite this being a compact offering, although a little larger here and there over the old model, there is still a decent amount of space for the occupants and enough space for about a weekend’s luggage.

As is required nowadays the infotainment and interior features are on a par with the full-size offerings higher up in the food chain and this A1 keeps you firmly networked and plugged into the digital world. Chuck a few millennials in there and you won’t see them ever again, not even for food, as they can order that in.

This car just might be the answer to those parents who have teenagers at home. And if you want more than the standard MMI radio type infotainment, then I would advise paying the R9 900 for the Technology Package, which contains the Audi Virtual Cockpit; Audi Smartphone Interface and Audi Sound System, which is well worth it in my opinion. Not only because of getting rid of the teenagers, but because this is the way the modern world is moving.

Being the top-of-the-range offering also means that you get the S line exterior package included in the recommended retail price of R488 000. And if that is not enough you can opt for a Black Styling Package and Contrast Package. The Black Styling Package includes the radiator grille in Matte Black; grille frame; front air inlet frame; rear diffuser and front spoiler, all in High Gloss Black.

The Contrast Package offers a contrasting roof dome; exterior mirror housing; front spoiler lip and side skirts in Mythos Black Metallic or Manhattan Grey Metallic. And to further simplify your life, instead of trying to tick a ton of options, Audi have also introduced a new package concept which groups key options in an easy to understand offering. The basic packages come in the form of a Comfort, Technology and Sport option. What more could you want from a premium compact hatch?

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