We really don’t get what the deal with Audi is. They seem to make every sort of body style on every chassis size and they always get away with it. The A5 was supposed to be a coupe, but it ended up with an extra set of doors and became a sedan, and now it’s time to see what they’ve done with the little A1 supermini. Despite being well built and relatively good-looking, the little A1 has a lot of competition, so it needed an edge over its rivals, which came in the form of an extra set of door.
Yes ladies and gentlemen, Audi has built the A1 five-door, which it calls a Sportback, though you can’t exactly get a bike in the back of this thing, because the wheelbase and lenghth are identical to the A1 3dr.
The German automaker will give buyers a choice of three petrol and three diesel units, all turbocharged. This starts with the 1.2-liter TFSI with 86 hp, which gets 5.1 l/100km on the combined run (46 mpg). More power is provided by two versions of 1.4-liter TFSI, producing either 122 or 185 hp, the more powerful of which catapults the A1 Sportback to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7 seconds an on to a top speed of 227 km/h (141 mph).
The diesel range starts with he 1.6 TDI rated at 90 or 105 hp, both versions getting 3.8 l/100km on the combined run. The bigger diesel option is a 2.0-liter TDI with 143 hp.
Expect to see the A1 Sportback in Europe in spring 2012 at a price of €16,950 for the 1.2 TFSI petrol or €19,050 for the 1.6 TDI 90 hp.
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