The Audi A1 is a stylish and competent supermini – but does it have the edge over the Mini?
The design premise of the Audi A1 was clearly minimalism over maximalism.In your correspondent’s opinion, this is how you make a car age well, given that inside and out the Audi is as pared back as small hatchbacks get, and is certainly on the prettier side of the spectrum. It would be harsh to call it featureless, but it’s not exactly the automotive equivalent of Tobermory.This Germanic attention to efficient, neat design has served the A1 well, because even now with the earliest examples more than 14 years old, they still look modern – a good thing, because they’re in a tussle in the classifieds with the evergreen Mini hatchback.If you were to buy a Mini, would you be missing out? Well, unlike that car, the A1 didn’t draw on its maker’s heritage. Instead, it was one of the few small cars to have a team of engineers smelling each of its interior surfaces to make sure the scents didn’t clash.Upmarket appeal was the clear priority here. That interior also offers enough space for average-sized passengers and their average-sized luggage but not much else beyond that. The rear seats will accommodate anyone below average height and the boot any load smaller than 270 litres. By contrast, the contemporary Mini makes do with just 160 litres, while the Mk6 Ford Fiesta offers 295 litres.What about trim levels? If you can live with halogen headlights, entry-level SE models come with 15in alloy wheels, cruise control, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, rear parking sensors and a 6.5in pop-up display that, like many of the other trim pieces and buttons around the cabin, has the tactility of a Bang & Olufsen hi-fi.Stepping up to Sport trim grants you 16in alloys, sportier suspension, front foglights and USB and Bluetooth connectivity, while S Line (our recommendation) includes 17in alloys, xenon headlights, LED tail-lights, front sports seats, an aggressively styled bodykit and LED ambient interior lighting.You could upgrade further to the Black Edition variant, getting 18in alloys black exterior trim, but we don’t think it adds that much styling flair or kit over S Line.For over a year, an S Line A1 was owned by yours truly, and never did I want for more. It was comfortable enough around town despite its firmer suspension, the gear change of its six-speed manual (a five-speed manual and a seven-speed S Tronic automatic were also available) had a reassuringly ramped and high-quality feel, it had a 1.4-litre four cylinder petrol engine that was more than potent enough and it regularly bested 40mpg. It certainly felt worthy of its Audi badges.There were a multitude of powertrains available, ranging from a slightly underpowered 94bhp 1.0-litre three-pot petrol (replacing an 85bhp 1.2-litre four in the pre-2015 facelift model) to the 1.4-litre four with 123bhp, 148bhp or 183bhp, although that last version was axed in 2014.You could also get a 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre diesel four, both of which offer up to 60mpg. The 2.0-litre is our choice of the oil burners, as it’s not only abstemious but pacy too.So, it depends on what you’re looking for in your small car. If you’re after some nostalgic charm, buy a Mini. But if you want refinement, quality appeal and a tidy (if slightly anonymous) design, it’s A1 all the way.
