Audi S1 (2014-2018) review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

If you want a really practical, fast Audi, you may have to step up to the S3. The S1 is very much a pocket-rocket, and really suited to an owner who rarely carries more than one passenger and doesn’t fill up a trolley at the supermarket every weekend. Even with five doors in S1 Sportback guise the car offers limited room for passengers in the back, and longer journeys won’t be much fun.It’s a more practical sporty option than a two-seater such as the Audi TT though, and both versions offer plenty of comfort and space for two up front.

Size

The S1 measures up at 3,973mm long, 1,740mm wide and 1,416mm tall in three-door guise, and while the five-door Sportback version is 2mm longer, 6mm wider and 8mm taller that’s obviously not enough to make a big difference to interior space. For comparison the Mini Cooper S measures 3,982mm long, is 1,727mm wide and 1,425mm tall.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The Audi S1 has a shorter wheelbase than a MINI Cooper S, so it trails on rear legroom. What's more, the sloping roofline and small windows make it feel tight. It's also worth remembering that the Audi S1 is strictly a four-seater – a trinket tray separates the rear seats. 

Boot

Fitting a four-wheel-drive system to the A1 has cut boot space as well, by about 30 per cent, so luggage room is down to 210 litres. There’s still enough space to fit a few weekend bags, though, and if you want you can fold down the rear seats to free up 860 litres. The five-door Sportback version does a bit better with 270 litres rising to 920 litres with the seats folded.