Audi A1: "Official" Sketches Motoring
Channel Staff - 26/July/2007 |  Sketches of the Audi A1 have been smuggled
out of Ingolstadt according to carmagazine.com
 Is this the face that will end the Mini's
domination of the premium compact car?
|
Ingolstadt, Germany — Audi's growth in the past 24 months has taken its
German rivals by surprise, and the Volkswagen-owned premium car maker
has set about capitalising on this growth by introducing new vehicles
such as the A5 Coupe and R8 mid-engined supercar. The
German automaker also has plans to develop a premium supermini that
would rival cars such as the Peugeot 207 GTI, Mini Cooper S, and other
compact luxury cars. British mag Carmagazine has nabbed images
that it claims were "smuggled out of Ingolstadt's design HQ",
suggesting the new A1 model will be launched in 2009. The compact
German prestige car will introduce a bevy of new models, to be offered
in 3- and 5-door hatchbacks, and will also comprise 2-door coupé and convertible models. Other
aspects of the new A1 model that have been leaked include the inclusion
of a cost-effective 7-speed dual clutch gearbox as an option, codenamed
DSG250. Audi's famous AWD quattro system will also be offered as an
option, and entry-level versions of the new Audi A1 are expected to be
powered by the VW Group's 1.4-litre TSI engine. One of our road
testers recently reviewed the Golf GT, the first vehicle sold in
Australia with the 1.4-litre TSI engine, which uses turbo and
supercharging to develop a handy 125kW of power. Expect the front-wheel
drive A1's with TSI technology to be frugal and fast. Furthermore,
there is also talk of a performance model, the S1, that could be
powered by the same 147kW 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine used in the
Audi TT (tested here),
nicknamed the 2.0 TFSI. The S1 model would get a range of interior and
exterior upgrades, including large wheels and tyres, flared wheel
arches and low-slung body work. The A1 is rumoured to measure
less than 4.0 metres long, but will be slight wider and lower than the
Mini giving it a sportier, more focussed road presence. Audi sees the
Mini Cooper as it's major rival and like the BMW-built compact premium
car, Audi wants to sell 100,000 units of the A1 by the year 2010.
Expect low prices and high quality when the new vehicle launches in
Europe in 2009. |
