2011 Audi A1 Fully Revealed Ahead Of Geneva Debut

Audi's “premium compact”, the A1 has been officially unveiled, weeks before its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Touted as the sportiest and yet the most luxurious model in the small luxury segment, the three-door hatchback A1 is positioned as the MINI conquerer. A five-door Sportback, convertible and sporty S1 are part of future plans.

The A1's C-pillars and roof arch can be specified in a colour different from the rest of the body's. To really fight the MINI, the A1's interior, which is inspired by the wings of an aeroplane, will be highly customisable: leather upholstery, heated seats, LED interior light package and MMI infotainment system are some of the available options.

Being 3950 mm long, 1740 mm wide and 1420 mm tall, the A1 is longer, wider and taller than the MINI. But, crucially, its 2470 mm wheelbase is only 3 mm longer than the MINI's, so rear legroom is not likely to be great. The boot space of 267–920 litres compares favourably against the MINI's 160–680 litres. At 1045 kg, the A1 is the lightest in the class, too, compared to the MINI's 1135 kg.

The A1 shares its platform with Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia. To better rival the MINI, the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspensions have been tuned to provide a sportier, more engaging drive compared to its mechanical relatives.

The electro-hydraulic steering is supposed to be more responsive and more precise in feedback than a conventional hydraulic steering. The standard ESP system with built-in electronic differential lock should improve traction and reduce understeer.

The A1 will be launched with four engines—85-bhp 1.2-litre TFSI petrol unit, 120-bhp 1.4-litre TFSI petrol unit, 89-bhp and 104-bhp 1.6-litre TDI diesel units—all of which feature stop-start technology. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard with all engines, although only the 1.4-litre petrol unit can be paired to the seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox.

Production of the A1 will start ahead of its Geneva debut. Prices are expected from €16,000 (RM 75,731) in Europe, but as you already know, prices will be closer to the RM 200,000 mark when the A1 arrives in Malaysian showrooms.