Photo: Stefan Baldauf / SB-Medien
The Audi A1 bloodline expanded back in August with the introduction of the citycarver. The car, a beefed-up variant of the supermini, sits a bit taller than the stock Sportback and is supposed to be the “most progressive model in the new A1 product line.”
Now on the floor of the Frankfurt Motor Show, the citycarver shows how confusing car segments have become over the years, and how easy it is for carmakers to come up with allegedly new models based on existing tech.
Built using the usual Sportback as a basis, the citycarver is 4 cm taller than its sibling. All Audi had to do to achieve this was fit a new suspension and larger wheels and voila! a new car is born. They added a few minor visual changes here and there, and that's it, they are in business.
This taller hatchback is allegedly meant for every road and has become on market launch Audi's entry-level crossover, packing small displacement engines with a punch.
At launch, there are two powerplants available, namely the 1.0-liter turbo with 116 hp and the 1.5-liter with 150 hp. A 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed automatic are available for both, as are fours driving modes: auto, dynamic, efficiency, and individual.
Aimed at young urban buyers, the A1 offers a fully digital instrument cluster as standard, the Audi virtual cockpit and MMI navigation plus, all working on a 10.1-inch touchscreen.
The A1 citycarver uses HERE maps, Google Earth navigation, traffic and parking information, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Topping it all is a voice control capability.
Overall, the A1 line has proved a successful one for Audi, constantly selling around 100,000 units each year since its introduction. The launch of the citycarver variant, which should be arriving at dealerships this fall, is likely to increase those numbers even further.
Built using the usual Sportback as a basis, the citycarver is 4 cm taller than its sibling. All Audi had to do to achieve this was fit a new suspension and larger wheels and voila! a new car is born. They added a few minor visual changes here and there, and that's it, they are in business.
This taller hatchback is allegedly meant for every road and has become on market launch Audi's entry-level crossover, packing small displacement engines with a punch.
At launch, there are two powerplants available, namely the 1.0-liter turbo with 116 hp and the 1.5-liter with 150 hp. A 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed automatic are available for both, as are fours driving modes: auto, dynamic, efficiency, and individual.
Aimed at young urban buyers, the A1 offers a fully digital instrument cluster as standard, the Audi virtual cockpit and MMI navigation plus, all working on a 10.1-inch touchscreen.
The A1 citycarver uses HERE maps, Google Earth navigation, traffic and parking information, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Topping it all is a voice control capability.
Overall, the A1 line has proved a successful one for Audi, constantly selling around 100,000 units each year since its introduction. The launch of the citycarver variant, which should be arriving at dealerships this fall, is likely to increase those numbers even further.
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