Photo: Audi
Audi revealed what can probably be considered the best supermini hot hatch made up to this point today, the S1. It's available as a 3-door and 5-door, both powered by a 2-liter turbo engine similar to the Golf GTI and offering the first ever quattro all-wheel drive in the segment.
So, is it worth buying? I personally think it is, and I'm going to tell you why. Prices in Germany and Britain have been announced, and they're not as high as you'd expect for a German flagship model like this.
Arriving in dealerships starting with the second quarter of 2014, the 3-door S1 starts at €29,950, while the more practical 5-door Sportback is €30,800. That's about €5,000 more than the A1 1.4 TFSI with 185 PS. Heck, it's only a little more than a Golf GTI, which only has 220 PS and costs about €28,500.
Here's what you get as standard: quattro, which isn't exactly cheap, adaptive suspension, cool new xenon headlights, LED taillights, four exhaust tips, 17-inch wheels, MMI navigation plus, Bose speakers and a WiFi hotspot. On the downside, I think the 215/40 R17 tires are going to be too small, so you need the optional 18-inch rims for better traction.
Over on the right hand side of things, OTR prices in Britain will start from £24,900, and first UK deliveries will begin in the spring.
The S1's only real competitor comes from the MINI John Cooper Works. Only the old model is still available, priced at €29,500 in Germany right now. We know there's going to be a new one coming out soon and it might even have a 4ALL version. But for now, it looks like Audi has a clear winner on its hands.
Arriving in dealerships starting with the second quarter of 2014, the 3-door S1 starts at €29,950, while the more practical 5-door Sportback is €30,800. That's about €5,000 more than the A1 1.4 TFSI with 185 PS. Heck, it's only a little more than a Golf GTI, which only has 220 PS and costs about €28,500.
Here's what you get as standard: quattro, which isn't exactly cheap, adaptive suspension, cool new xenon headlights, LED taillights, four exhaust tips, 17-inch wheels, MMI navigation plus, Bose speakers and a WiFi hotspot. On the downside, I think the 215/40 R17 tires are going to be too small, so you need the optional 18-inch rims for better traction.
Over on the right hand side of things, OTR prices in Britain will start from £24,900, and first UK deliveries will begin in the spring.
The S1's only real competitor comes from the MINI John Cooper Works. Only the old model is still available, priced at €29,500 in Germany right now. We know there's going to be a new one coming out soon and it might even have a 4ALL version. But for now, it looks like Audi has a clear winner on its hands.
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