The A1 is already Audi's fastest-selling car ever, and it doesn't even arrive at dealerships until later this summer. Launched at the Geneva Motorshow, we know what it looks like, we know what engines it has and we know how much it costs, but what we really want to know is how it drives. Here's where we find out. We'll be bringing you live updates from the launch event in Germany, so keep checking back for the latest.
Wednesday 7.08am
Just finished writing the full review. Read the Audi A1 review here. We'll be putting up more of our own action and detail pics on that page as soon as possible. Alternatively read below and view the pics to find out how's yesterday's activities panned out.
3:54pm
It's not attracting much attention. So far no one has stopped to test our language skills and few seem to have twigged it at all. A few have and seem suitably impressed, but a long way from being giddy with excitement. It's not that dramatic and if it can't capture attention in its home country what hope does it have elsewhere? I remember driving a Mini when it first came out and you had to fight off the crowds. The only way to do that with the A1 would be to park it upside down at the Brandenburg Gate after some noteworthy driving through the Berlin suburbs, Jason Bourne style.
3:47pm
Just noticed something. Isn't it weird that he A1's engine isn't covered in plastic? Could have been done to save weight - or more likely money - but it's refreshing that you can see most of it. There's also some free space in there by the looks of it. Roll on the S1 with some sort of turbo'd 1.6 or 1.8.
3:21pm
You want to know what it's like to drive right? So do I. We are north of Berlin in some exceptionally bland and flat countryside and have yet to find any sort of meaningful, testing road. What I can tell you is this. It's brilliant on autobahns and multiple-laners, better than it needs to be in fact. For a car of this size NVH suppression is awesome at high speeds. I've got a slight quibble with the low speed ride and in particular the suspension thump over expansion joints, but on the whole it's a very deft and neat little car. More soon.
3:10pm
The drivetrain is wonderfully slick. Light gearchange, good pedal weights, all the things you need. But the engine itself I'm not so sure about. It's peppy and because the A1 is so light (about 1150kg) it picks up ok, but it never quite catches fire. At 5000 when you're expecting it to make a surge for the redline it instead holds steady. I'm convinced the torque has been governed, which is frustrating because you get the feeling the 1.4 TFSI has more to give. It's clean and efficient and has low CO2 but that's not really the point, is it?
3:00pm
And speaking of the debate, which would you have - an A1, or one of its closely related siblings, the Skoda Fabia, VW Polo or SEAT Ibiza? The warm/hot versions of each are near identical under the skin, but all boast different personalities. Tell us your thoughts (and vote in the poll) here.
2:55pm
They may be controversial (read and join in the A1 debate here) but those silver roof bars are going to be the only thing to really mark an A1 out from an A3.
2:01pm
Right, time to think proper thoughts. The A1's interior quality is frankly unbelieveable. It's as well assembled and crafted As a TT's and the detailing is superb. It's not like the Mini or to a lesser extent
the Citroen DS3, in that the cabin's not a fun place to spend time. Just deeply, deeply impressive.
1:31pm
Amusingly-named foreign food for lunch.
1:05pm
Helpfully pulled alongside a BMW 3-series Compact, the car that relaunched the mini-premium sector back in the mid to late 90s. It looks dated beside the A1, and is probably an inch or so longer (though was based on the A4-rivaling 3-series).
12:21pm
The air vents are very cool, and one of the many funky interior features that make you realise this is a car with its crosshairs directly on the Mini.
12:12pm
We've finally escaped Berlin. First impressions of the A1 so far? It's good in the city and good on the Autobahn. It feels very grown up. Hopefully that'll prove to be a good thing.
10:42am
Rear light clusters are part of the tailgate, so with the boot open these little lights are revealed (pic, right).
10:37am
Sitting (or rather standing) in a product presentation. Just want to drive the car now. Have to say it looks great, but I'm sure it's bigger than a Mini.
10:17am
Just arrived to this scene - about 30 A1s lined up and waiting. Ours is red. Much better than the other choices: white, brown, navy blue and silver.
9:57am
Got the media pack on the flight out, which highlighted some interesting stuff. UK deliveries won't start until November, Audi reckons it'll sell 18,000 a year here, the silver roof contrast line, without which the A1 looks much like an A3, is an option, and all the launch models have CO2 outputs below 130g/km. And yes, that means the most powerful model on offer to us today has only 120bhp. There's also a £250 service pack that covers the car for five years. I've snapped some pics of pages from the pack so you get a better idea of how the model range, equipment levels and rivals stack up - just gutted to learn the rally decals pack won't be available until late next year.
7:39am
Waiting to fly out from Stansted and Audi has just shown us this. You hold a a flat plate in front of a webcam and on the screen you see a 3D image of an A1 that, by turning and moving the plate, you can view from any angle. You can even open the doors and take a close up look inside. It's being rolled out to all dealers and audi aims to expand the technology so you can view all it's models like this. It's very neat. Anyway, time to go and get on an aeroplane and fly to Berlin.
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