Audi ready to take on MINI: Tokyo show 2007: Audi Metroproject

Audi has been smarting ever since its A2 failed to sell in the predicted numbers while BMW’s Mini became a big success, but now it’s set to return to the premium small hatchback sector with a production version of this, the Metroproject quattro concept.

A precursor to the new A1 model, due in 2010, the Metroproject gives a clear indication of how Audi’s Mini rival will look. Based on the VW Polo platform, the A1’s body will be steel, not aluminium like the A2’s, but a target weight of 1100kg will help Audi in its aim to make the car as engaging to drive as possible.

The A1 won’t have the pillarless profile of the concept because a B-pillar is needed for rigidity, but it will sport the aluminium streak along its roofline, a feature that buyers will also be able to specify in other finishes, just like the side panels on the R8.

Audi has hinted that coupe and convertible variants will follow the hatchback, but perhaps the best news is that the performance versions of the A1 will be the first to appear, with prices set to start at just 17,000 euros (around £11,800 at todays money) in the German market, undercutting the Mini Cooper’s price tag by 800 euros.