Audi S1 quattro (2014 - 2018) review – the miniature VW Golf R

Audi’s S1 would never come into being today – the financial and developmental pain of squeezing a four-wheel drive system into the A1 with its Polo proportions simply wouldn’t fly. But such was our ferocious appetite for hot hatches on low-interest finance in the mid-2010s that Ingolstadt made it happen, with a little help from the limited-run A1 Quattro of 2012 for some technical hand-me-downs. 

It was a mutually beneficial relationship, as S1 sales figures served to justify the investment that the 333 A1 Quattros never had a hope of paying back. Even so, it was a pricey little tike when new, costing over £24,000 in 2014 and rising to £27,000 by the end of its life. Today, Audi’s evo Car of the Year-contending miniaturised Golf R can be had for less than £12k.

The billing of ‘miniaturised Golf R’ was easy to affirm, given the Mk7 Golf R arrived at almost exactly the same time with the same EA888 engine and four-wheel drive. The Golf lined up alongside the S1 at 2014’s eCoty test, charged with facing down Renault Sport’s Megané Trophy R, Ferrari’s 458 Speciale, McLaren’s 650S, Jaguar’s F-type R coupe and more.

The S1 was never succeeded, with the second-generation A1 range being topped by the front-driven Polo GTI-engined A1 Competition. Only Toyota’s GR Yaris has emulated its small AWD hot hatch formula, taking the use of bespoke componentry to the next level and using it to much greater effect.

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evo Verdict 

The S1 is a great fun and capable hot hatch in the right circumstances, even if it doesn’t quite deliver the last two tenths of intensity, composure, agility and adjustability that mark out true all-time greats. Instead Audi’s hot hatch was a jack of all trades – usable everyday, classy enough for any occasion and great fun when the mood takes you.

Pros

– Performance 

– Secure handling

– Overall quality

Cons

– Engine falls flat eventually 

– Steering lacks in feel

– Lacks that last few tenths of intensity

Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

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• 2-litre turbocharged engine with 228bhp
• Gearbox is a manual only
• Rear end redesigned to accommodate AWD

The S1 used a 2-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged unit producing 228bhp at 6000rpm and a very strong 273lb ft of torque between 1600-3000rpm. As in the A1 Quattro, a six-speed manual gearbox was the only transmission option available as the double-clutch transmission of the time would not fit.

The extensive modifications that went into the A1 Quattro to accommodate the AWD largely carried over to the S1, with a TTS-derived multi-link rear end set-up taking the place of the standard A1 torsion beam. The propshaft ran through the A1’s exhaust tunnel, while the fuel tank was remodeled to fit around all the new hardware. The differential at the rear used an electronically-controlled multi-plate clutch, which worked in conjunction with the car’s ability to brake the inside rear wheels to improve agility.

The Drive Select system allowed the driver to switch between efficiency, auto and dynamic settings for the adaptive dampers and the engine map, but lacked an ‘individual’ setting to mix and match. The S1 also featured larger brakes with a more powerful servo. Though the packaging challenge was extensive in the S1, this was still the era of multiple body options, so the S1 was available as both a three-door hatch and five-door ‘Sportback’.

Performance, ride and handling

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• Secure handling with adjustability off throttle
• Engine lacks fireworks at the top end
• Damping works well up to a point

With four-wheel drive and a huge slug of torque – 273lb ft between 1600 and 3000rpm – the S1 is very rapid off the line. It’ll reach 62mph in an impressive 5.8 seconds, which is quicker than most hot hatches from the class above. The top speed is electronically limited to 155mph.

The engine is best driven on the torque. It pulls with a level of urgency and muscularity that comes as something of a surprise first time out (though perhaps it shouldn't, given the 2-litre capacity), and although there are no fireworks at the top end, the final 1000rpm remains a useable part of the rev range. Throttle response and urgency in the lower reaches of the rev range are good, too.

The gearbox is a little long in its throw, but the gate is tightly defined and the shift action is slick. It's certainly more interactive than the dual-clutch option you'd expect of a performance Audi, and therefore something to be celebrated. Like many Volkswagen Group products, a slightly over-servoed feel to the brakes can make heel-and-toe downchanges a little difficult, which does take away some of the joy of the manual 'box.

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Combined with the unimpeachable traction of the Quattro four-wheel-drive system that torque output gives the S1 serious point-to-point pace. In wet conditions it would certainly stick four exhaust pipes up to anything short of a Volkswagen Golf R, and there's a real thrill to exercising such performance from a car that feels so compact.

The S1 will never take an oversteer stance under power, instead firing away from corners without a hint of wheelspin. The chassis does respond to lifts off the throttle mid-corner, giving the S1 a degree of true hot hatch adjustability. There is never any real sense of connection through the steering wheel, but it is at least devoid of the unpleasant stickiness that afflicts some other fast Audis.

The S1 absorbs the endless bumps sweetly and without deflection, keeping its four contact patches firmly in touch with the tarmac most of the time. Even in the stiffer damper mode – which is part of the standard-fit Drive Select system – there’s enough pliancy; in fact, for the extra body control it also delivers it becomes the default setting for spirited driving, regardless of the nature of the road surface.

The very best small hot hatches of its era, though – namely the Fiesta ST and 208 GTi – are even more engaging to drive because there’s yet more inherent adjustability and agility in their chassis. They don't have the wet weather ability of the Audi, driving only the front wheels, but both have an addictive immediacy that the Audi can't quite match, even if it'd be nicer to live with every day.

evo Car of the Year 2014 verdict

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‘The S1’s size and general pertness made it a refreshingly carefree car to punt along our test route. It coped well with the mixed weather and carried impressive speed. It was also cohesive and consistent in a way many quick Audis fail to manage, but ultimately it never felt as light and nimble as its size and weight would suggest. It needed to show more energy and sparkle.

‘Compounded by an engine that delivered plenty of promise early in the rev range then felt a bit flat thereafter, and damping that worked to a point but ultimately ran out of ideas, the S1 faded when a truly great hot hatch would up its game.’ – Richard Meaden, delivering his evo Car of the Year verdict.

MPG and running costs

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• Cars registered after April 2017 will be cheaper on VED
• 40mpg not realistic most of the time
• Four-wheel drive requires more servicing and is harder on tyres

Audi claimed 40.4mpg on the combined cycle (pre WLT) and 39.8mpg for the slightly heavier S1 Sportback, but in reality that figure will be closer to 32mpg in mixed driving. On a steady run that’ll creep up towards 40mpg, but you’ll struggle to get much better than 25mpg if you use the performance fully and often.

Tax is a tricky one for the S1. If your example dates from before April 2017 it’ll cost you £315 a year. For cars registered after April 2017, that drops to £195 a year. The S1 is an esoteric hot hatch but a hot hatch nonetheless, so insurance costs will be sturdier than the average family hatch.

Being four-wheel drive, the rear differential joins the regular regimen of servicing. S1s also wear through their tyres differently (more enthusiastically) than more conventional front-driven hot hatches. One known issue is crunchy gearboxes so have good feel of the shift quality of your chosen example and look out for remedial work in its history. The EA888 is known to go through water pumps and thermostats too, so look for remedial work in your car’s history or factor it into the price.

Interior and tech

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Like many hot hatches the S1 had a somewhat top-heavy driving position and lacked wheel adjustability, the seat being an inch or two too high and the wheel too far away from the driver. 

Fit and finish was good with the same kind of material, clicky button and control quality you’d feel in an R8. It should have worn well. It was a little out of date when new though, with an aging MMI infotainment system that electronically deployed from the dashboard. It feels very out of date today.

It wasn’t the most spacious car either, the rear seats really a convenience rather than suitable for the regular transit of full-grown adults.

Prices and buying options

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When the S1 launched it was considered pricey at £24,000 – the same sort of money you’d pay for the larger Golf GTI at the time. That price rose slowly over the years, peaking at £27,000 by the time of its discontinuation. 

The S1 was a decently strong seller in an era when we really couldn’t get enough of cheap-to-finance hot hatches. As such there are plenty out there on the used market, with prices ranging from under £10,000 for the very leggiest oldest examples, to over £20,000 for cars in great condition with really low miles.

If that sounds like a lot for a near decade-old hot hatch, consider this: the hot hatches of this size left now that the Ford Fiesta ST, Renault Sport Clio, Hyundai i20 N and Peugeot 208 GTI are dead are the Volkswagen Polo GTI and Toyota’s GR Yaris. One starts at over £30k, the other at over £40k.

Specs