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Audi A1 Sportback

Five-door Audi A1 Sportback gets roomier interior and new 1.4 TFSI engine with cylinder shutdown

Audi A1 Sportback front tracking

By Jack Rix

January 2012

Audi is broadening the A1’s appeal with a new five-door Sportback version, expected to account for two-thirds of A1 sales. But this is more than simply an A1 with an extra pair of doors, there’s a more spacious interior with room for five, unique styling cues and a pair of brand-new engines, too.

Although identical in length to the three-door, the A1 Sportback is in fact six millimetres taller and six millimetres wider, so there’s a fraction more rear legroom and head room as a result. Don’t expect acres of space though, six-footers will find it hard to squeeze in the back, although an extra 11cm of headroom makes a difference. Boot space is on a par with the three-door at 270 litres, or 920 litres with the seats down.

Video: watch our review of the Audi A1 Sportback

 



Besides the extra doors, there’s a variety of ways you can distinguish the Sportback. A full contrasting roof is available in silver, black or the Daytona grey colour you see here - the Samoa Orange paint is also unique to the Sportback. The good news is despite a roof that’s higher and extends a few millimetres further, there’s no penalty in terms of style.

For such a compact car, there’s a huge range of engines to pick from, all fitted with stop-start. The cleanest is the 104bhp 1.6 TDI diesel with economy of 74.3mpg and emissions of 99g/km. The fastest is the 182bhp 1.4 TFSI, capable of 0-62mph in seven seconds, and the cheapest is the 85bhp 1.2 TFSI costing from £13,980. There’s also a 120bhp 1.4 TFSI and joining the range from the summer will be two brand-new engines - the 141bhp 2.0 TDI and a 138bhp 1.4 TFSI.

We drove the latter, which features a development of the cylinder shutdown technology already seen on the 4.0-litre V8 fitted to the new S6, S7 and S8. On light throttle loads it cuts two of the four cylinders, enough to boost economy by around 5mpg if you drive at a constant 30mph.

With all four-cylinders firing away though, and the turbo on boost, this is a cracking little engine. It revs smoothly and quickly, and the throaty exhaust note sounds great. It feels quick too, with only 1,125kg to haul along. Low weight makes for agile handling, and the Sportback dives into corners with all the enthusiasm of the three-door. The steering doesn’t have the same level of feedback as a MINI, but it rides better, even on the firmer suspension fitted to our Sport model. An electronic differential, which gently brakes the wheel with least grip, works wonders too – helping to resist understeer and maximising grip during cornering.

On our twisting test route, the two-cylinder mode didn’t have a chance to engage very often, but when we encountered a straight or downhill section of road, the switchover was imperceptible. Considering how popular stop-start has become, this fuel saving technology looks like being the next big thing.

Personalising small cars, like the Citroen DS3 and MINI, is big business nowadays, and the A1 Sportback’s interior can be customised in a range of garish colours, ranging from white to lime green. Raid the options list and you can go for wheels in sizes from 15-18 inches, sat-nav with 3D Google maps and upgrade to a 14-speaker Bose stereo. Order the latest MMI 3G system, and it allows you to connect your phone via Bluetooth and turn the entire car into a wi-fi hotspot.

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12 Comments

le Baronet

They should have learned from Mini and extended the floor pan - you can't charge £19k for five doors if the rear is so cramped.
I'll wait until the new A3 5 door appears..................

By leBaronet on 17 January, 2012, 8:50am

Plugging all the gaps

Are Audi trying to blind us with excessive choice or just to plug every conceivable gap in the market?
All I hope is that it is more reliable than the lovely looking but costly and unreliable A2 I had for a while.

By Richardcr on 17 January, 2012, 9:50am

Cost

Oh, and my Juke Tekna came fully loaded with all the extras Audi change huge sums for, all for under £18,000.
Residuals? They never amount to meaning much anyway. So why pay over the odds for a cramped under equipped Euro box when you have so much choice elsewhere?

By Richardcr on 17 January, 2012, 9:54am

Pointless car is pointless. Better of with a polo if you are a VW fan after all.

By giorikas81 on 17 January, 2012, 4:59pm

Crap

What a load of crap, tiny little car for £19k. It's a flipping Fabia/Polo.

By Kingbob12 on 18 January, 2012, 1:24am

Great New Engine

It's not a cheap car but this looks like a higher end Sport model. But then new cars have jumped up in price quite a bit. It is the new engine with cylinder shutdown that sounds most interesting, near derv mpg with a smooth petrol engine. Makes me laugh though seems better than the new BMW 1.6 138 petrol in the F20 116i.

That will prove a cracking lump when it reaches VW, Skoda and Seat. I'm all for a Q3 or new A3 next year ad would go for this new 1.4 TSi in an A3.

By JezyG on 18 January, 2012, 7:41am

Looks great but,

I would not spend almost £20k on a small VW Polo based Audi. There are many other better ways of spending that kind of money.

By cousins11 on 19 January, 2012, 3:21pm

Cramped, expensive, overweight

Weight: 1.125 tonnes! My 11 year old A2 1.2 TDI is around 850kg!

A1 5 door Boot space: 270/970 litres cf A2:390/1085 litres

Recently drove A1 1.6 TDI: 46mpg on commute and 1.4 TFSI 32mpg same route. Compared to A2 3L: 79mpg same route: 28 miles in 45 mins.

By ecoangel on 20 January, 2012, 9:45pm

Too Expensive

Quote "cleanest is the 104bhp 1.6 TDI diesel with economy of 74.3mpg and emissions of 99g/km" What a laugh!!!

A 3.0L Petrol is probably far cleaner than a 1.6 Diesel because diesels emit far more cancer causing emissions!

I don't care about Co2, it won't kill me!!!!

The A1 is too expensive for a tiny car, madness!

By Mad_Lad on 21 January, 2012, 11:25am

DSG option?

As a VAG fan who has had 3 Audis and 3 VWs, I would seriously consider this premium 5 door supermini. But I must have one with a DSG gearbox. Which models and trims will offer that option?

By gannet on 22 January, 2012, 2:02pm

VW Group playing catch-up

So finally VW are playing catch-up with Nissan's electric and Toyota's hybrid drive-trains by tweaking the tried and tested combustion engine.
Nice try this cylinder deactivation technology. Can't help wondering why didn't they think of this before. What were the car-makers doing for years. Well at least now they are working on cutting emissions and upping fuel economy.
Audi A1 is a nice car but way too expensive. Besides it's not suitable for family use. However it begins to make sense when compared with BMW's Mini. If I were to buy a Mini I'd rather buy a five-door A1. However I'm sure Countryman is more roomy.
I'd rather buy a Polo once VW start putting modern fuel-efficient engines in it.

By fadyady on 26 January, 2012, 1:12am

If any of the haters moaning on this page about it could actually afford it, they wouldnt be complaning. No one cares that you failed in life and have to buy second hand jap sheds....leave the audis to those who "can"...

By stevetyler899010 on 24 February, 2012, 6:55pm

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Pictures

Audi A1 Sportback front tracking
Audi A1 Sportback rear tracking
Audi A1 Sportback engine
Audi A1 Sportback badge
Audi A1 Sportback panning
Audi A1 Sportback rear three-quarters
Audi A1 Sportback engine
Audi A1 Sportback detail
Audi A1 Sportback rear seats
Audi A1 Sportback boot

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FIRST OPINION

    The extra pair of doors adds another string to the A1’s bow. Don’t expect a spacious family car though - access to the rear is improved, but it’s still fairly cramped for adults. The Sportback will set you back an extra £560 over the three-door, but considering it look just as sharp and drives just as well, it’s worth every penny, which is why Audi expects the Sportback to account for two-thirds of A1 sales. Some will be put off by the high price, but spend some time in the high-quality interior, consider the high-end technology under the skin, and it’s obvious where you’re money is being spent.

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £18,700 (est)
    Engine: 1.4-litre four-cyl turbo
    Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
    Power: 138bhp
    Torque: 250Nm
    0-62mph: 8.1 seconds
    Top speed: 134mph
    Economy: 60.1mpg
    CO2: 109g/km
    Equipment: Sports seats, sports suspension, Bluetooth connection, 16-inch alloys, air-con, electric windows.
    On sale: March
     
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