Audi A1 Citycarver
Is jacked-up small car worth the premium?
NOT content with its extensive range of SUVs, crossovers and jacked-up estate cars, Audi is looking at more ways to exploit this profitable part of the market.
Whether that’s adding a sloping roofline to its popular Q3, or slapping some black cladding to the A6 Avant, Audi – with its venerable quattro four-wheel-drive system – has this swelling segment sewn up.
Now Audi’s engineers have turned their attention to the smallest model: the A1. Called the Citycarver, this raised supermini is designed to give premium small car buyers a dose of off-road style without compromising running costs.
Measuring a smidge over four metres long, the Citycarver has the same footprint as the standard A1. The rugged look is achieved thanks to a 50mm ride height increase, a set of redesigned wheelarch extensions, new side sills and some underbody protection. It also uses a single-frame grille inspired by Audi’s Q models and a new rear bumper.
Identical
The Citycarver’s interior is virtually identical to the standard car’s, which means it gets the same tech-focused infotainment system and 10.25-inch digital dials. That’s lucky, because it will distract you from some of the cheaper materials on the doors and lower dash.
Pitched as a standalone model, Citycarver customers will get a choice of two engines with either a manual or an automatic gearbox. The three-cylinder 30 TFSI (from £22,040) is available now, with the more powerful 35 TFSI arriving before the end of the year. The automatic gearbox is £1,540 and was fitted to our test car.
The Citycarver is comparable with the standard A1 in Sport spec, but it costs an extra £1,400, which adds larger, 17-inch wheels and an LED interior light pack, as well as all that imposing exterior trim. Every car gets LED headlights, front sports seats and air conditioning, plus that digital instrument cluster and 8.8-inch infotainment display.
Buyers can also add the Technology Pack (£1,695), which brings sat-nav, wireless phone charging and Audi’s larger Virtual Cockpit dials. The Plus Pack (£695) has privacy glass and dual-zone climate control, while the Comfort and Sound Pack (£1,150) comprises a Bang & Olufsen stereo, Audi Parking System Plus and heated seats.
The brand hopes the rugged styling and promise of a more cushioned ride might swing buyers in favour of the new Citycarver. You do sit higher, but the differences are hard to spot without trying the two cars backto-back. Roughly 35mm of the additional 50mm height comes from the suspension, and the rest from the higher-profile tyres.
The Citycarver rides maturely, and is firm enough to offer control but without crashing through potholes; speed bumps cause no issues, and yet corners are tackled without
“The Citycarver costs an extra £1,400 compared with the standard A1 in Sport spec”
any sense of unease. The steering lacks feel, but you can place the A1 with confidence. Body roll is well contained and grip is good.
Our car featured the cheaper 30 TFSI engine, but don’t let the 114bhp power figure fool you. It settles into a hushed rhythm on the motorway, offering the kind of grown-up driving dynamics we’ve come to expect from Audi’s smallest model. But it’s tough to draw comparisons with rivals, because few manufacturers offer anything comparable in this area of the market. If you want a B-segment car with a taller profile and SUV style, you’re forced towards models like the SEAT Arona or Volkswagen T-Cross. Neither of those offer the compact dimensions of an A1, although both have superior interior space and a larger boot.