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Audi A1 quattro

Famous four-wheel-drive system adds a new dimension to baby hot hatch

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

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Although Audi modestly terms this A1 quattro a prototype‚ in our opinion, it’s certainly ready for the showroom. So it’s a shame we’ll have to wait a year for the finished car. The fun of the 182bhp 1.4-litre TFSI engine is enhanced with quattro traction and stability, and the subtly updated body and cabin strike the right balance. The blend of small car luxury, performance and four-wheel-drive traction  is a desirable one, although for most buyers, the front-drive  version (due in a few months’ time) will be the one to go for.

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Meet the baby Quattro with serious bite! Packing a 182bhp 1.4-litre supercharged and turbocharged engine, along with four-wheel-drive traction, this is the fastest and most capable Audi A1 yet.

The grippy pocket rocket goes on sale early next year – but Auto Express got behind the wheel for an early drivein a prototype on snow-covered roads in Canada. Is it the ultimate all-weather hot hatch?

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Audi A1

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Following in the wheeltracks of the range-topping front-wheel- drive A1 1.4 TFSI – revealed at the Paris Motor Show in September and on sale later this year – the A1 quattro, which uses the same engine, is aimed at buyers who want maximum traction in all conditions.

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And it certainly delivers. With the engine’s impressive power output going to every wheel, the car gives you so much more confidence than a regular front-wheel-drive version, even with ESP.

The A1 quattro uses the latest version of quattro all-wheel drive for smaller cars, first seen on the TT and hotter TT-RS, so it is a dynamic package we already know well. But in a smaller 

car, it’s even more fun.

Power and torque can be swapped 100 per cent front to rear instantly – and there was no time on either the cold, hard tarmac or on the snow-packed ice track when we felt out of control, the A1 behaving predictably and safely. The engine is very impressive, too. There’s a wide power band and really punchy performance all the way to the 7,000rpm red line. Audi quotes a rapid 0-62mph time of only 6.9 seconds, and it feels every bit as quick as the figures suggest, while 250Nm of torque available from only 1,500rpm makes for easy overtaking manoeuvres.

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Beyond the performance improvements over the standard car, the body gets a sinister extended rear roof spoiler. On the inside, the backs of the seats are coloured the same as the exterior paintwork – rust orange in the case of our car. The cabin is also available in sporty S line trim. With Alcantara suede touches, it really is a smart place to be.

When the A1 quattro arrives in the UK next year, it will be available with 16-inch alloy wheels as standard, with 17- and 18-inch rims as options – the same as on the front-wheel-drive machine. 

Part of the reason for the delay in bringing the four-wheel-drive model to our shores is that Audi will time its launch to coincide with the S1 quattro flagship, which will feature a 220bhp 1.6-litre TFSI engine. 

Another reason is that a six-speed next-generation automatic will also be ready by then as an option.

The quattro set-up is not solely planned for the 1.4 TFSI engine trim, but also for the 1.6 TDI. Expect to pay about a £1,500 premium for all-wheel drive. That’s certainly not cheap, but if you live in the wetter or colder parts of the country – or you simply want the security that quattro brings – this little machine comes highly recommended.

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