Audi A1

Audi A1 at a glance

The A1 is a compact, front-wheel-drive car for easy city driving and parking, with premium materials and many personalisation options. More Audi models are in our Audi catalogue, and the brand's story is told in the history of Audi.

Audi A1 generations

First generation (2010–2018)

The three-door A1 arrived in summer 2010 and the five-door Sportback in November 2011. The 2014 update brought smoother bumpers, revised headlights and grille, new paint colours, a slightly longer body, a wider range of engines and two design packages, "Sport" and "Design", with styling cues borrowed from the high-performance S1. At the front, the Audi Singleframe grille sits between xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, and rectangular fog lamps are integrated into the side intakes. A rising crease runs along the doors, and the LED tail lights are set entirely into the tailgate, as on the Audi Q5. Ground clearance is 125 mm.

The cabin is a four-seater as standard, with a three-seat rear bench as an option. It is well laid out and practical, with a three-spoke steering wheel, clear instruments with a central display, a pop-up infotainment screen controlled by a rotary knob, and round air vents inspired by aircraft. Materials are of high quality, with several design packages available. Space is good for the class, but rear passengers are tight, and the boot is small: 270 litres, or 920 litres with the rear seats folded.

Before the update, the Sportback had a 1.4-litre turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder with 90 kW (122 PS) and 200 Nm, paired with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox. It reached 100 km/h in 9.0 seconds and 203 km/h, using 5.4 l/100 km with the manual and 5.3 l/100 km with S tronic. The facelift added three-cylinder turbo engines — a 1.0 TFSI with 70 kW (95 PS) using about 4.3 l/100 km and a 1.4 TDI with 66 kW (90 PS) using about 3.4 l/100 km — and improved four-cylinder engines: 1.4 TFSI with 92 kW (125 PS) or 110 kW (150 PS), 1.8 TFSI with 141 kW (192 PS) and a 1.6 TDI with 85 kW (116 PS).

The PQ25 platform uses MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear; sports suspension with electronically controlled adaptive dampers was optional, and quattro all-wheel drive was offered with some petrol engines in Europe. The electromechanical steering was retuned in the facelift, and the brakes are discs all round: 288 mm ventilated at the front, 230 mm at the rear. Base cars had 15-inch alloys, LED daytime running lights, front and side airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP and ASR, air conditioning, heated front seats and an eight-speaker audio system.

Second generation: 8GB (2018 onwards)

The second A1 was unveiled at the Paris motor show in 2018 and moved to the MQB A0 platform, also used by the current VW Polo and SEAT Ibiza. Its styling follows the Audi A6 and A7: three-segment LED headlights, a three-part slot beneath the bonnet edge (with gills on S line versions), a forward-leaning Singleframe grille in black rather than chrome and large lower intakes. Flared wheel arches hold 15- to 18-inch wheels. Four design lines are offered: Basic, Advanced, S line and Edition.

The wheelbase grew by 91 mm, so the cabin is roomier in length and width. Front seats offer light side support, with electric adjustment on higher trims. A 10.25-inch digital instrument display is standard, with the Audi virtual cockpit and navigation optional; the centre console, angled towards the driver, holds an 8.8- or 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen. Options include an 11-speaker Bang & Olufsen system, dual-zone climate control, Qi wireless charging and ambient lighting with 30 colours. The rear seat has three headrests but is best for two. The boot holds 355 litres, or 1,090 litres with the 40:60 split rear seat folded.

Engines and transmissions (second generation)

The base version reaches 100 km/h in 9 seconds and the 40 TFSI in 6.5 seconds; every version exceeds 200 km/h. Consumption ranges from just over 5 l/100 km to about 8 l/100 km. All engines can have a seven-speed S tronic gearbox; the base engine is also offered with a six-speed manual. Drive is to the front wheels.

Suspension is MacPherson at the front with a semi-independent rear axle; adaptive sports suspension is optional. The MQB A0 body uses 27% ultra-high-strength steel and is stiffer. The electric power steering adapts its ratio automatically, and brakes are discs all round: 276 mm front and 230 mm rear as standard, or 312 mm and 272 mm as an option.

Safety

The second-generation A1 offers lane departure warning, cruise control, airbags and curtain airbags, ISOFIX, blind-spot monitoring, pedestrian recognition, stability and traction control, hill-hold assist, a traffic-jam assistant that keeps the distance to the car ahead up to 65 km/h, automatic high beam and Audi pre sense basic, which tightens the belts and closes the windows when a collision is imminent.

Key specifications by generation