Now Audi wants a slice of the pie and is chasing buyers with its new, three-door Audi A1 Sport.
VALUE
Audi matches the Mini Cooper S pretty much point for point with the engines sharing a similar output and the cars having plenty of kit to help the medicine go down. TECHNOLOGY
The seven-speed is the only transmission on A1 Sport and offers D for lazy-bones drivers and paddle shift for the sporty punters.
Works a treat giving the diminutive A1 Sport decent acceleration and strident roll-on performance at all speeds.
The body/chassis features generous use of high strength steel for added rigidity.
Electronics feature heavily in controlling the A1 Sport with sports stability control and an electronic limited slip differential that has a similar effect as torque vectoring (using the brakes/throttle to help steer the car)
DESIGN
The seats themselves are more sports oriented with deeper side bolsters and firmer padding.
There's plenty of safety gear too including six air bags, rear park assist and a five star crash rating.
DRIVING
What fun.
Needless to say the A1 Sport acquitted itself admirably whipping through the safety cones like a scalpel, blasting over the 400 metre drag race strip and behaving like a racing kart on the street circuit. VERDICT
We like the A1 Sport for its spirit.
The Audi A1 is determined by the VW Polo platform, a design because the cheapo edition from the short-lived Audi 50. Audi will even paint the roof pillars, which stretch from front to rear in a single easy arc, in a very contrasting shade for additional awesomeness.
The 2011 Audi A1 provides an option of four turbocharged four-bangers: two diesel and two gasoline engines. Petrolheads obtain a selection of the 1.2-liter, eight-valve engine making 85 hp as well as a 1.4-liter 16-valver turning out 122 hp. The sensation of control is improved from the 2011 Audi A1’s outstanding chassis setup. It is Audi’s model with the Volkswagen XDS program, and it arrives on each 2011 Audi A1, not only on top-of-the-line versions, like at VW.
Once you discover how the site behaves TFSI high speeds, running at a normal pace will not seem at all attractive. Sweet sensations will be amplified by a precise transmission with short halves, which will ask you to stick your hand grip and switch to demote sick and obsessive closer every turn. Merriment that demonstrates little German and perfectly reflects the value of acceleration. For child occupant protection received an A1 rating satisfactory, but not the same thing happened in Chapter pedestrian protection, which endangered the life hood dummy. It comes with standard ESP, electronic differential lock , EDS, ASR, EBV and, of course, ABS.
Engineers have installed automatic air conditioning, power windows, audio quality, light and rain sensors and steering wheel. To demonstrate the premium, but the Germans raise a multimedia system with Audi fans already familiar with quality materials, auxiliary audio connections with a navigation system and a mobile phone connection. Mini segment having a head which passes back and rely more on emotional impact, the Audi was forced to risk everything to design.
