Audi A1 Review - 1.4T FSI Sportback SE S-Tronic

Audi is quite proud of the fact that since its local introduction in 2011 they’ve shifted nearly 9000 A1 models. They say the A1 outsells the closest premium rival by 3 to 1. Which is impressive.

By ‘premium rival’ I presume they mean the MINI Cooper, but if we look at the official NAAMSA sales figures for May, Audi sold 168 A1s while MINI moved 158 Coopers. Not quite 3 to 1 Audi? More ‘neck and neck’.

Anyway, besides the sales numbers, what is of more interest is that the A1 conquests more customers than any other Audi. This makes sense, as the baby Audi in the range the A1 should appeal to a younger audience.

How young, well my gut tells me that unless you have large trust fund, parent’s with deep pockets or you’re part of the ‘upwardly mobile generation’, at a base price of R265 000 for the 1.0T 3-door, as a set of your self-funded first wheels, it’s probably out of reach for most.

So is this a new, new model we see here?

The model you see here sits in the middle of the range and is the 1.4-litre TFSi SE S-Tronic Sportback model and has a base price of R323 500.00. That might sound like a lot, and it is. But, consider the top-of-the-range S1 starts at an eye-watering R452 000.00 and the model you see here seems cheap by comparison.

So what’s new on the A1? Well visually not all that much, there’s a new front bumper, grille and headlight arrangement however, if you can spot the differences without the previous generation model sitting right next to it, well done you, because I can’t.

It’s still in my opinion, one of the best looking models in the Audi range, together with the A3 sedan of course (queue heated discussion) and with the optional Audi Active Kit, the new A1 is sexier than ever. Active Kit includes ‘platinum grey’ front and rear bumper aprons, as well as wheel arch covers, side sills and wing mirrors in the same grey chrome-look plastic.

Customisation is the name of the game in this boutique hatch market. With the option to have a contrasting roof colour, a variety of wheel designs and the aforementioned Active Kit, you can spec your A1 just how you want it.

Speaking of specification, the test unit I drove for example, had R80 000 worth of optional extras, taking its base price from R323 500.00 to a staggering on the road price of R404 490!

Wow! So is the update merely skin deep?

Not at all, there’s big news under the bonnet too. For the first time you can now have your A1 with a 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder which replaces the 1.2-litre in the range. This entry-level engine is the first three-cylinder petrol engine in the history of Audi.

The 1.4-litre turbocharged FSi engine in the test car I drove is very very good and like all other engines in the A1 range has been updated as well. It gains an extra 2kW bringing power to 92kW, with torque unchanged at 200Nm. The higher output version of the 1.4T FSi engine has been dropped in favour of a 1.8T FSi – itself producing an extra 5kW – with power peaking at 141kW and torque unchanged at 250Nm.

Anyway, back to car in question, which is fitted with the optional S-Tronic automatic gearbox which is as you’d expect, brilliant. Strangely there aren’t paddles on the steering wheel in this model which is unusual but the gearbox when left to its own devices is so good you just don’t need them. And if you’re really after the sportiest of A1’s then you I’d point in the S1’s direction, or at the very least the 1.8T variant.

Audi drive select system is standard on SE and Sport models and allows you to change engine characteristics over the three modes of auto, efficiency and dynamic. Coupled to the standard electromechanical steering and there is a noticeable change from ‘dynamic’ to ‘efficiency’ with a tightening of steering and an urgency from the gearbox.

How does it drive?

In short, very good. Audi has managed a great combination of stiff enough to be sporty, yet supple enough to be comfortable, even with the optional 17-inch rims. Left in ‘D’ the S-Tronic gearbox is fairly lazy. Bump the stubby lever down and you engage ‘Sport’ which is far more akin to the A1’s sporty nature. Knock the lever to the left and you’re in ‘Manual Sport’ mode allowing to shift up and down through the gears yourself.

In this sportiest setting the A1 comes alive as something you can really have fun with. The gear changes are lightning fast, and as you get used to not having steering wheel paddles, there is a satisfaction to the forward/backwards self-shifting mode. Very race car like.

The 1.4T FSi has just enough to entertain. Theirs is no massive shove of power, rather a more linear delivery of power and you have to rev it well into the rev range to really get things moving. Point it at a twisty set of corners and it is settled and very grippy.

Anyway, I suspect 170kW in the S1 is overkill anyway because 90kW in a car this small is plenty. Which I quite like, because you can have good fun without the grabbing the attention of the law too often.

And the interior?

What more can be said of Audi interiors? Not much beyond them being the best in the business. Same goes for the A1. Fit and finish is first-class with a quality and tactility of every knob and button unmatched by almost everything else on the road.

Being a Sportback variant you get rear doors, but space in the back is very tight. I tried to sit behind myself and couldn’t really with my head folded forward due to a lack headroom and my knees essentially around my ears. Kids or shopping would be a better use of the back seats.

Okay, let’s wrap this up

The A1 gives the MINI Cooper Hatch 5-Door (R329 400.00) strong competition in the boutique hatchback market where funky, customisable looks are a key selling point. It bests the A1 in performance with an 8kW/20Nm advantage from its 1-litre 3-cylinder turbo, however the MINI can’t reach the A1’s quality interior and is slightly more expensive than the Audi.

At R290 000 for the A1 1.0T S S-Tronic Sportback, this model is probably a better head-to-head competitor.

Which is the best? Well, like the sales figures suggest it’s neck-and-neck but if it were my choice, the MINI Cooper gets my vote.