Premium priced A1 impresses
AUDI : ‘GERMAN ENGINEERING IN A COOL, LITTLE ENVIABLE PACKAGE’ The model’s S tronic gearbox allows for smooth transmission between gears in sport and manual mode.
When the car of your dreams lands up in a motoring testing bay just one floor below your desk there’s only one thing to do. Pack a bag and head to the coast. No, not to show off your temporary new set of wheels to everyone you knew growing up, but to get a good, long drive out of it and really feel the tar churn beneath your wheels.
That’s how I reacted to the new Audi A1, anyway.
A 1.8 all dressed up in a sports kit, with a sunroof and navigation system ready to direct me to Durban, I thought: “This is going to be one hell of a ride.”
With any Audi comes steering a touch above the rest – light, responsive, comfortable, smooth. Not having to change gears makes this all the more enjoyable and a particularly great car to drive if you spend a lot of time on the road. The S tronic gearbox transitions seamlessly between gears in Sport and Manual mode – something I never thought I’d be interested in in a car. A double tap on the accelerator in Sport mode drops the gear, allowing you to increase power up a hill – nice for when you’ve been stuck behind a truck and want to make a break for it.
Typically, Van Reenen’s Pass is a little intimidating for me. Trucks on one side, a cliff on the other and a road that seems to wind and wind. However, I’ll put it down to how well this car handles on corners.
It feels good: the rear end firmly in control and in line. The power underfoot is remarkable. There’s something decidedly reassuring about knowing when you put your foot down you’re going to go and at a fast pace.
A little fiddling with the bass and treble tones and the sound system was ready for a road trip car party. I would, however, like to see this model come with Bang & Olufsen sound. A little luxury never hurt anyone – and it certainly wouldn’t hurt the ears.
Having grown accustomed to and associating the boot space of an A3 with Audi, the A1 was disappointingly small in the rear. Two carry-on bags and a backpack is about all this can handle. It’s unlikely you’ll be fitting a pram in – I may be a terrible boot packer, though.
At R441 000 – or R390 000 without the extras – I expected more. Manual seat adjustments, zero lumbar support, no USB port, manual climate control and no leather seats. Also absent was any form of rear park assist. This is not a hint that this should be a priority feature for women, merely an observation after seeing it as a seemingly standard feature in much cheaper cars. Coupled with the knowledge that a 2.0 litre TDI Q3 can be found for around R450 000, this mini-me’s price tag is a little too steep.
There isn’t a massive difference in power output in Durban compared to the Johannesburg air, but there definitely is one. Seems this car likes the coast, too.
On the drive from Johannesburg to Durban, the consumption dropped to 7.2 litres/100km, not too bad for a car this powerful, but urban consumption, while marred with stopping and starting in traffic, was a steep 9.8 litres/100km. A touch higher than the 7.2 litres promised by Audi.
The interior is pretty and quite cool and the navigation works like a dream, even though I found the anti-clockwise dial to be a bit counter intuitive.
If you move away from the colourful navigation screen to play music or browse through contacts, a touch of the navigation button on the steering wheel will let you know what to do next.
The sunroof, coupled with the layout of the car, makes it all feel very open and spacious despite it being a “small” car. The absence of an armrest, while adding to the roomy feel of the interior, was definitely felt en route.
While we’re talking extras, the auto engine on/off is far less noticeable in this car. It’s quieter and smoother than that of BMW and Mercedes cars I’ve driven.
While the aim wasn’t to show off this set of beautiful wheels to everyone I know, everyone I saw had something great to say, each pair of eyes peering inside before a sigh of adoration and expression of desire was released. At a better price, I’m sure it would be on far more must-buy lists.
All in all, it’s a fun car to drive. It’s German engineering in a cool little enviable package and there is no doubt in my mind this is a chicks’ car – but it has a pair ...