Audi A1 Review

If you took a shrink ray to an Audi A3, you’d end up with something very like the Audi A1. This is an Audi for people who only have a small parking space, with the same quality you get in larger Audis in a compact, easy-to-drive footprint.

The A1 is, unsurprisingly, the most affordable Audi, and it’s on PCP finance where the car is best value. When the cost of the car is split into monthly payments, the A1 isn’t much of a stretch above cars like the Ford Fiesta and SEAT Ibiza.

Like the Ibiza, the A1 is based on the Volkswagen Polo. Along with the Mini hatchback, the Polo is one of the A1’s biggest rivals. If you can live without the premium badge with the four rings on it, the Polo is a little more practical and a little better equipped spec-for-spec. We’d recommend test-driving both to see which you like best.

How you perceive the A1’s interior quality will depend on what cars you’re used to. If you come to the A1 from a larger Audi, some of the materials will feel cheap and scratchy, but you’ll be impressed with the feel of the interior if you’re upgrading from a Vauxhall Corsa or Hyundai i20.

Certainly, if you don’t go prodding the dashboard on your daily commute, the A1 stacks up well. Recent cars get two screens as standard, with a large centre touchscreen and digital dials both being included on the cheapest A1. This system is largely the same as those fitted in costlier Audis, which goes a long way to contributing to the A1’s quality feel.

The A1 is decently practical for its size, and it’s vastly improved over its predecessor. Now there’s room for adults to just about get comfortable in the back seats, and both headroom and legroom is acceptable. As with many cars in this class, sitting three adults across the back row will be a tight squeeze.

At 335 litres, the A1’s boot is slightly above average for the supermini class. It’s more than you get in a Ford Fiesta and Peugeot 208, and is more than enough space for most weekly food shops or a small pushchair. Even so, the other VW Group superminis – the Polo, Ibiza and Skoda Fabia – all offer more space than the A1. Drop the A1’s rear seats and you’ll have just shy of 1,100 litres to fill.

All current A1s have petrol engines, with four to choose from. Audi’s strange badging might not make much sense, but the 25 TFSI and 30 TFSI are two versions of a 1.0-litre engine, with 95hp and 110hp respectively, and the 35 TFSI is a 1.5 with 150hp. Used buyers might also come across the 40 TFSI which, with a powerful 2.0-litre engine under its bonnet, turns the A1 into a bit of a hot hatch.

There isn’t a bad engine in the line-up, with all featuring a turbocharger to give them enough power to feel comfortable on the motorway. We’d pick the 30 TFSI with a manual gearbox, because it’s a little quicker off-the-line than the 25 TFSI and comes with a six-speed gearbox rather than a five-speed, which improves high-speed refinement.

The 35 TFSI is a great choice, too – it’s usefully nippy and manages nearly 50mpg, just like the 1.0-litre engines. It’s only available with the automatic gearbox, however, which can feel a little slow-witted when you want to accelerate but does take the stress out of changing gears.

Generally, the A1 does a good job of driving like bigger, more sophisticated Audis. Refinement is fairly good and you’ll barely hear any engine noise – although that’s perhaps because tyre noise is quite noticeable. Smaller wheels slightly reduce the amount of roar that’s transmitted into the cabin, and they also give a better ride. With large 18-inch alloy wheels fitted, the ride can get bumpy and firm over broken road surfaces. It’s not awful, but a VW Polo is better over these roads.