IF you've got a hankering for history then you'll know the A1 isn't Audi's first attempt to crack the small car nut.
More than thirty years ago the engineers in Ingolstadt created a well-crafted three door hatchback to take on the likes of Renault's 5 and Fiat's 127, but when sister company Volkswagen created its own version the first generation of supermini buyers flocked to the cheaper car instead. It's a top bit of pub trivia; the very first Volkswagen Polo was a rebadged Audi.
You might be more familiar with the similarly ill-fated A2, Audi's innovative and beautifully built answer to the Mercedes A-Class, but the company are hoping it'll be third time lucky with their latest effort. Thanks to the MINI and the Fiat 500 premium small cars are all the rage, and the A1 wants a slice of the action.
The first thing you'll note is that it strays away from the deliberately retro touches of its rivals and goes for a much more modern style, looking more like a smaller A3 embellished with some neat touches like the silver roof pillars and the headlights which curve around the front corners of the car. It's a smartly-styled thing, and it's the same story when you move onto the sophisticated and well-crafted interior.
It's just a shame that the trade-off for polished looks is poor packaging, with the the rear accommodation in particular feeling dark and claustrophobic, while the boot is smaller than many of its supermini rivals and hampered by a high sill. If you're taken though with the A1's looks, build quality and badge value, these are small gripes you'll easily overlook.
But I couldn't - at least with the 1.4 TFSI Sport version I tried - forgive its ride, which is unbelievably hard. Yes, the A1 handles corners sweetly enough, but everywhere else it crashes and bangs over bumps and potholes, while the seven-speed automatic makes for jerkier progress than you might expect. While I'd hope it's a problem confined to just the particular version I tried, I can't recommend something with a ride that hard.
Besides, you can take the same basic ingredients of the A1 and successfully make them sporty in another car I actually enjoyed.
Tune in next week to find out what it is...
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