More details on the Audi A1
Slated to compete with the Mini Cooper at a base price of $20,000 to $23,000, the Audi A1 will ride on the Golf V platform all the way to the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. In addition to design based on the Shooting Brake concept, the vehicle may come along in 2010 as a roadster or 2+2 convertible. The TDI and FSI have been pegged as the powerplants for the new vehicle (at least in Europe), with a TSI version to follow soon thereafter.
Unlike most Audis, the A1 likely won't be available in all-wheel drive Quattro due to budget constraints.
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via GermanCarBlog]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ZoomZoomin' 2:16PM (7/05/2006)
Not the greatest looking rear end, but the lines of the rest of the car look promising.
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ghughes 2:34PM (7/05/2006)
You know - I hear wayyyyy tooo much about audi/vw on this website-
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Jeff the Baptist 2:46PM (7/05/2006)
Competition with the Mini would be great if they weren't competing at the same price point. I couldn't justify buying a Mini the last time around. Too much money for such a little car. I could buy a sports sedan for the same amount of money that gives me similar performance and seats 5 adults. Why would I buy an Audi that is also too expensive for what I get?
Undercut the bastards with a little fun VW with a possible diesel powerplant. Then you might get me as a customer. Otherwise, forget it.
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mark 2:53PM (7/05/2006)
Okay great.. let's way 3-4 years for a car? Um.. thats a bit too long, think of the sales they're going to lose to mini, tc, civic, etc.. Besides the civic and mini will most likely be re-designed then anyway! What's the hold up?
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mark 2:54PM (7/05/2006)
I do like the design, but to wait that long, not sure many people will wait..
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Den in IN 3:07PM (7/05/2006)
Well Jeff, If you want to buy the car by the pound or square foot of shadow, may I suggest a fine domestic? If you are disqualifying a Mini because it is small, then you either need something less um...mini, or you are missing the point of a high quality small car. Reducing the size is only on small part of the cost equation.
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powasky 3:23PM (7/05/2006)
looks like alfa romeo gt...
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Autonews 4:04PM (7/05/2006)
I see many styles on its design, but finaly looks nice.
But it looks bigger, how will compete with a Mini ?
http://www.auto-power-girl.com/
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chewy 4:04PM (7/05/2006)
For the last time, the article said 16k-18k Euro. There is no need to convert the prices, here is why: Audi A4 2.0 TFSI starts at 30,700 Euro in Germany. In the US it starts at 28,240 dollars. Europe has a 16% tax on its cars. Therefore, if the A1 ever came to US (it probably won't) it would probably start at under 20,000. BTW, I don't really like the rear, looks a little akward.
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Christian J 4:12PM (7/05/2006)
Great, more cheap product roll-outs from VW with the Audi badge. That's a VW Polo with leather folks. Don't expect it to be a rally car. Don't expect it to handle better than a mini. Don't expect it to handle better than any small, disposable subcompact car.
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Beerdog 4:29PM (7/05/2006)
Looks a bit silly, like some sort of hat.
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Joshi 5:31PM (7/05/2006)
I'm psuedo-excited for the A1, because I love Audi and I love Mini, but shouldn't VW compete with the Mini? Let Audi compete with BMW.
Oh, wait, I forgot. VW is too busy failing to go upmarket. My bad.
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Jeff the Baptist 5:37PM (7/05/2006)
"Well Jeff, If you want to buy the car by the pound or square foot of shadow, may I suggest a fine domestic? If you are disqualifying a Mini because it is small, then you either need something less um...mini, or you are missing the point of a high quality small car. Reducing the size is only on small part of the cost equation."
I'm not disqualifying the mini just because it is small. I am disqualifying the mini because it is a bad deal. 3 years ago, I gave serious consideration to the mini when I needed to buy a new car. But it didn't do anything well enough to justify the additional cost. The only way I could justify the mini is if I put small size at a premium. If I was willing to pay more just to drive a subcompact.
Not to drive a small economical car, because the mini isn't that. The mini is small but its fuel economy is pretty mediocre compared with larger compacts like civics (not to mention hybrids). Not to drive a small fast car, because even the S isn't actually that fast. Just pay more money to buy a small car only for the virtue of its stylish smallness.
I went with an import compact instead. My car handles as well, drives as fast, gets equivalent gas mileage, and I can put several adult males in the back seat when we go to lunch. And it was cheaper than a mini.
If you want to get me to buy a mini or similarly priced competitor, you need to give me something other than cuteness and attitude. You need to give me some of my money back.
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Steve 6:16PM (7/05/2006)
@ Jeff - While I can understand what you're saying I do have a question, did you consider depreciation in your purchase decision? I know in the UK the mini holds its value ridiculously well, a 2001 Mini One with 70,000 miles is going for £6250 and that's cheap. The purchase price of the car would be somewhere around £12 - £13k, so about 50% deprectiation over five years which is insane. Of course the Mini, and now the A1 if and when it's launched, aren't designed to be the most practical vehicles, they sell on looks and the 'feel' of the car. If, in your opinion, that's not worth paying the money for then go for something else (I've just made the same call, going for a Honda Jazz over a Mini).
As for the A1... I'm not convinced. The mini has done so well based on its looks and 'Britishness' (apparently), the A1 just looks like a TT that's been smooshed. Plus it's a cheap small Audi and that's never really worked well (look at the A2...).
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Lithous 7:44PM (7/05/2006)
Wow, that is a nice update to the Saturn SC...
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/12/web/2328000-2328999/2328224_11_full.jpg
Or maybe it is a 1990's Mustang.
Either way, good styling job Audi.
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Howard Kerr 8:36PM (7/05/2006)
Interesting design...in Europe Audi sells/sold a small car called the A2 and a bigger car called the A3 based on the VW Golf. The A2 shares almost no parts with another Audi or VW and while it's hard to tell, appears to be a much SMALLER car than this car, even though it's a 5 door hatchback (looks a lot like a smaller Matrix/Vibe, styled by Audi). This car looks like it would be about the size of a 1st gen. Chrysler Sebring, but one that has had it's wheelbase and overhangs drastically reduced. Hope it's just the pictures.
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Stoneman 10:07PM (7/05/2006)
A1? What happened to the A2? I must be missing somethere here. I hope the A1 comes with the DSG transmission. Those are hot.
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
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skaz 1:36AM (7/06/2006)
Lithous, not EVERY car is a rip-off design of some American vehicle. The Saturn had to draw inspiration from something, too.
Once you add it all up, all cars of the same generation look VERY similar, except for halo cars.
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Hung2 11:35AM (7/06/2006)
First glance at the rear reminded me of the first gen Acura CL 2 door.
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Jeff the Baptist 1:20PM (7/06/2006)
"While I can understand what you're saying I do have a question, did you consider depreciation in your purchase decision?"
No I didn't. I have a 70 mile daily highway commute (round trip). I put 25,000 miles on my car a year. That means accelerated depreciation for anything I drive. Because my cars are quickly worth very little, I generally drive my cars until they develop serious reliability problems. By then they're practically worthless no matter what they are. Nobody is going to give me any meaningful amount of money for a used car with 100k-200k miles on it.
It seems to me that a lot of people buy Minis as sort of toy. It's an affectation. They drive it for a fun ride or as a second car. Eventually they'll tire of it and sell or trade it for something else. So for them resale might make some sense.
But not for me. For me cars are transportation tools not toys. They have to be fun because I spend too much time in them to be bored, but ultimately they'll wear out and get replaced.
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