Audi A1 to Be Wasabi Green on the Inside

Prior to its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, German carmaker Audi continues to tease its upcoming A1 model, which aims to be the first premium automobile in the compact class. Just as with all other aspects of the car, the range of colors will also be highly innovative. For the interior, the designers have come up with something very special: the Wasabi Green.

“The body is precision-built; the quality of the paint finish is top-rate,” says Werner Zimmermann, Head of Quality Assurance at Audi AG. “We even live quality in those areas that are not directly visible to the customer. Only in this way is it possible to achieve that incomparable Audi feeling.”

“A completely new car is always an exciting challenge for designers. Naturally, we looked for innovative solutions when it came to materials and colors as well,” said Jana Bonkova, a color and trim designer at Audi.

“Having a wide range of possibilities for individual designs was the most important thing for us, and our objective was to combine the various materials with fresh colors. That’s how we came up with Wasabi Green – after drawing inspiration from trends in architecture, fashion, and the furniture industry.”

Wasabi is a Japanese type of horseradish, namely a hot spice with a distinctive, green color. “We use wasabi paste for meals to improve the flavor – but only in small amounts,” Bonkova said. “It’s the same with the A1. Wasabi Green is used selectively to create accents, such as in details like seams. We want to use this color to appeal to people who simply want something new and fresh.”