2019 Audi A1

By: Alex Forrest

With the original Audi A1 having been launched in 2010, it had been a long wait for the second-generation model, which landed in Australia in late 2019.

The A1 is Audi’s baby – their light car that’s a size down from the A3. It’s a city car that would compete with cars like the Volkswagen Polo GTI, Citroen C3 Shine and Mazda2 GT.

We say ‘would’ because the A1 is from a premium brand that buyers may view differently from the three mentioned above.

Plus, as the badge may suggest, the A1 Sportback is quite luxurious by the standards of most other cars its size.

This really is the A1 Sportback’s point of differentiation from other tiny city cars – it’s the cheapest new Audi, but one of the most expensive city cars.

That places the A1 Sportback in a sparsely populated area of the car market, but one with understandable appeal: a premium car, but downsized.

Also setting the A1 apart from its city car contemporaries is its 5-star ANCAP safety rating, which is less common among cars in this market segment.

This new A1 is bigger than its predecessor, and has more luggage space. 

At $37,380 drive away, the A1 Sportback is not at all cheap given the small patch of road it occupies.

However, you do get a fully digital instrument cluster for the driving information, and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Under the bonnet in the entry level 30 TFSI is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol turbo engine making 85kW and 200Nm.

It gets the A1 along well enough and is (just) refined enough given the expectations buyers may have, but if you splash $40,600 on the 35 TFSI, you’ll get a smoother 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine with 110kW.

The range-topping 40 TFSI costs $53,000.

The A1 is impressive for its luxury, but its price does bring a range of competing options.

For example, the price of the 30 TFSI could get you a well specified and bigger Toyota Corolla. Or, for $7000 less you could have a Hyundai i30 N Line with 150kW, more space and a seven-year warranty if you buy at the right time.

Audi A1 Specifications