What is it?
2010 Audi A1
What's special about it?
Audi has revealed the definitive production version of its new A1 in a series of official photographs prior to the car's world premiere at next month's 2010 Geneva Auto Show.
Set for European sale in June, the stylish three-door hatchback is the first in a whole new range of A1 models planned to join the Audi lineup within the next three years. The company has set the A1 to compete with the Alfa Romeo MiTo, Citroën DS3, Fiat 500, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Mini in Europe's quickly expanding class of premium small cars.
Don't expect to see the A1 on U.S. roads any time soon, though. Despite concerted efforts by Audi to increase its sales performance in North America, the A1 does not form part of its future model lineup for the U.S. A high-ranking source at Audi told us, "We'll monitor response to the car, but it is very unlikely that the A1 will be sold in the U.S., at least during its first generation. Beyond that, it is hard to say what will happen."
First previewed as the Audi Metro concept at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show, the A1 was styled under Walter de Silva, Audi's former design boss before he was promoted to oversee the whole of the Volkswagen Group's design activities in 2008.
Despite its compact dimensions, the new car boasts a number of unmistakable Audi design cues, including a large single-frame grille, distinctive headlamp graphics with optional bi-xenon main beams and LED daytime running lamps, squared-off fender flares and a prominent shoulder line. At the rear is a one-piece tailgate similar to that used by the Audi Q5.
Audi's hope, of course, is that buyers will associate the look of the A1 with its more expensive models, giving the hatchback instant up-market cachet. Buyers will be able to individually tailor the appearance of the new Audi with a number of trim applications. Among these is a roof panel that can be specified in one of four different colors, a feature associated with Mini that has been much copied by other cars in this class.
To complement the introduction of the three-door A1 revealed here, Audi is also preparing both five-door and convertible versions of its newest model. Also planned is a sporting S1, which Ingolstadt will target directly at the Mini Cooper S. As part of Audi's efforts to attract younger customers to the brand, the A1's marketing campaign will be headed up by pop singer Justin Timberlake.
Spun off from the same Volkswagen PQ25 platform that underpins the Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia and Volkswagen Polo, the A1 is clothed in a conventional steel body measuring 155.5 inches in length, 68.5 inches in width and 55.9 inches in height. Like its compact stablemates from the VW Group, the A1 rides on a short 97.2-inch wheelbase, although its wide track should help it achieve the kind of agile handling associated with Mini.
European buyers of the front-wheel-drive A1 will initially get to choose between two turbocharged, direct-injection inline-4 engines, both of which represent the downsizing in displacement that is rapidly proceeding at Audi. The first is a 1.2-liter turbo that delivers 68 horsepower, while the 1.4-liter turbo makes 122 hp. In addition a 1.6-liter common-rail turbodiesel will be available in both 90 hp and 105 hp iterations.
The high-performance 1.4-liter turbo will be matched with a six-speed manual transmission, but the rest will all have five-speed manuals. Audi has also provided its new entry in the supermini market segment with a number of fuel-saving technologies, including automatic stop/start, regenerative brakes and a new management system for thermal energy from the engine. Optional across the range of models is a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission that can be had with shift paddles on the steering wheel.
Within the cabin, the 2010 Audi A1 receives a unique simplified dashboard, yet the associated switchgear and trims are similar to those of existing Audi models. A lot of effort has gone into the overall fit and finish, which the German carmaker claims sets new class standards.
The 2010 Audi A1 offers seating for up to four occupants together with 9.4 cubic feet of luggage capacity. Reflecting its premium positioning, the A1 will come with an extensive range of optional extras, including the latest in satellite navigation and an entertainment system based around a 60-gigabyte hard drive and 6.5-inch color monitor.
Inside Line says: So this Audi A1 isn't coming to the U.S., and we're not sure anybody is really going to miss the opportunity to buy a very small car that's very expensive. — Andreas Stahl, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
akitadog says:
09:23 AM, 02/12/2010
Dieseltc, it's not about "bigger is better", it's about what makes Audi a desirable brand to which to aspire.
I know you can have quality in small packages, to which my 08 GTI can attest. But a luxury brand is supposed to be all about conspicuous consumption, that the owner can afford something that the masses cannot. It's unattainability is what helps make it desirable.
If a luxury brand insists on making continually smaller, less expensive vehicles, then more people can afford to "buy in" to the brand. More Audis are sold, but the idea of Audi as a luxury brand is irreversibly diluted. What's so "luxury" about an Audi if 1 out of every 3 or 4 people can afford one?
The A1 will compete with VWs own Polo, and VW will get more Audi sales as a result, which will look good on whatever internal spreadsheet, but it will be at the expense of sales of VW Group's bread-and-butter Polo and even Golf.
I know that Europe does cars smaller than in the US, and that the roads are narrower, and I appreciate small cars (my last car was a Cooper S, though it was a lemon), but Audi will lose its reason for being, and its ability to charge more for the 4 rings, if they continue down the road of "an Audi for every purse."
THE BRAND IS ALL THAT MATTERS. The European luxury makes have already sacrificed the brand for the sake of market share in Europe, and all the badge snob poseurs now drive A2s, 1-series BMWs and B-class Mercs. They cannot bring this car to the US, for it will start the same slide here that Audi has suffered there.
juan_mx says:
06:40 AM, 02/12/2010
This car is the expensive version of the Seat Ibiza SC. (see http://www.seat.co.uk/)
Volkswagen AG is using the same strategy used by the american car makers long time ago, use the same platform to make cars of many diferent flavors to meet all tastes.
If VAG was GM:
Volkswagen = Chevrolet
Seat = Pontiac
Skoda = Oldsmobile
Audi = Buick
dieseltc says:
04:54 PM, 02/10/2010
Well Dellray, whatever they're smoking it's making them one of the few profitable companies globally. So they must be doing something right.
Akita, that's an American mindset.... bigger is better. You can have higher quality in a smaller package. And in most cases in Europe, a car the size of an A4 is considered large. You wouldn't know this until you've tried parking an A8 in a Euro sized parking space in Germany.
Hardly cheapening the brand.
akitadog says:
02:10 PM, 02/10/2010
Here's a question, why buy this, or even the S1, over a Polo GTI?
I mean VW already competes with itself in the US between the 4-door GTI and the A3. The GTI is the far better buy if you take both money AND usable interior space into account (and arguably, looks), and you don't pay extra for a "sport suspension" on the GTI.
Now VW wants to compete against itself with the A1 and Polo. Audi should never have introduced a car smaller than the A3 into its lineup. Can we say, "Cheapening the brand"?
delraylocal says:
08:37 AM, 02/10/2010
What a joke!
First the new droopy headlight led's and now this thing.
What kind of drugs are they smokin at audi these days?
cr_driver says:
07:09 AM, 02/10/2010
Since this CRAPPY WEBSITE still has no edit button, for my previous post:
Add 6 hp
And type reliability instead.
Thank you!
cr_driver says:
07:06 AM, 02/10/2010
Also planned is a sporting S1, which Ingolstadt will target directly at the Mini Cooper S.
That should answer your question buddy.
Pure pleasure, driving a volkswagen polo wrapped around in audi sheetmetal/price/reliablitiy with 62 horsepower.
Now that sets a standard!
blueguydotcom says:
06:34 AM, 02/10/2010
So somebody approved this thing? How does it compete with the Mini Cooper S? The Cooper S is pushing over 70 more HP with only 300 more lbs. Do the math on that power to weight ratio.
dieseltc says:
08:33 PM, 02/09/2010
Looks great on the inside and outside. 2300 lbs, 122 hp starting under 20K is not bad.
frank908 says:
08:28 PM, 02/09/2010
Yawn. Dorky looking too.