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Audi A1 allroad quattro Looks Like a Lifestyle Hatch

This week's reveal of an all-new A1 Sportback got everybody excited, even the Americans. It's just the smallest car Audi makes, but the design has huge curb appeal.
Audi A1 allroad quattro Looks Like a Lifestyle Hatch 1 photo
Photo: X-Tomi Design
Naturally, quite a few renderings came out, and one of them depicts a potential allroad version with chunkier off-road looks. I don't think this is something Audi is looking into, but I'll still try to explain why it's a good idea.

You see, there's not much room left for growth in China, but South America and Africa are different. Luxury brands are just getting a foothold there, and the cheaper cars always do better, especially if they are locally made.

For example, the 2018 Polo is now assembled in South Africa, and the Up! is hugely popular in Brazil. Unless we're mistaken, both the A1 and A3 do well in that region with ethanol-enabled turbo engines. Yet neither are offered in allroad form.

The A1 allroad made by X-Tomi Design looks like a fantastic lifestyle vehicle. With a little more ground clearance, it looks exactly like the Hyundai Kona, probably because both have that opening above the grille. One thing I don't like is the color. Who decided family wagons can't be bright yellow?

Rumors about a new S1 model coming in 2019 also stated that it would get a Haldex AWD system, which could also be used here. As for powertrains, Audi has given up entirely on small diesel units, so it's TFSI only.

Allroad is practically synonymous with the big A6 wagon, but you don't really need AWD to sell something like this. Just look at the Ford Fiesta Active, which has no off-roading skills. Volkswagen tried something along these lines with the Polo Cross, so at least we know the idea is floating around. But would it be better to just make a bespoke small crossover?
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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