Photo: Audi
3-door hatchbacks are going the way of the dodo bird and the Tasmanian tiger. Audi Australia has just announced the it's dropping the 3-door version of the A1 supermini and sticking only with the 5-door Sportback due to its popularity.
The decision will not affect the base price of the A1 range, which remain $26,500 Australian dollars for the basic 1.2 TFSI with a manual. The brand new S1 hot hatch with 231 PS will arrive later this year to supplement the range of small Audis.
Considering VW doesn't offer a 3-door GTI there, it's pretty clear that practicality wins every time in this segment, at least with Australian buyers.
While a decision made purely on economic basis is justified, we figure the A1 3-door will be missed, especially since it looked so good and was the first version of the A1 ever made. However, Audi probably knows what's best, since it's doing the same thing to the larger A3 by not offering the 3-door. Some premium compacts don't even have a 3-door version, such is the case with the Mercedes A-Class or Volvo's V40.
Launched in 2010, the A1 is the newest member of Volkswagen Group's supermini family, arriving after the Polo, Ibiza and Fabia had already been developed. The decision to launch it as a 3-door probably had something to do with typical Audi boot design, which is usually sloped, and the fact that MINI's Cooper also has 3 doors. In early 2012, a 5-door version of the A1 went on sale. Even though it looks bigger, the wheelbase is the same size, but has different doors and a less angled hatchback door.
Word of warning: If you want to buy a new Audi A1, you might want to put it off for a few months. A facelift is coming later this year and will bring slightly better engines and a more modern look.
Considering VW doesn't offer a 3-door GTI there, it's pretty clear that practicality wins every time in this segment, at least with Australian buyers.
While a decision made purely on economic basis is justified, we figure the A1 3-door will be missed, especially since it looked so good and was the first version of the A1 ever made. However, Audi probably knows what's best, since it's doing the same thing to the larger A3 by not offering the 3-door. Some premium compacts don't even have a 3-door version, such is the case with the Mercedes A-Class or Volvo's V40.
Launched in 2010, the A1 is the newest member of Volkswagen Group's supermini family, arriving after the Polo, Ibiza and Fabia had already been developed. The decision to launch it as a 3-door probably had something to do with typical Audi boot design, which is usually sloped, and the fact that MINI's Cooper also has 3 doors. In early 2012, a 5-door version of the A1 went on sale. Even though it looks bigger, the wheelbase is the same size, but has different doors and a less angled hatchback door.
Word of warning: If you want to buy a new Audi A1, you might want to put it off for a few months. A facelift is coming later this year and will bring slightly better engines and a more modern look.
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