Audi A1 Review 2024

When Audi replaced the A1 in 2018, it did so with only the five-door Sportback model to make its premium small hatch challenger as practical as possible. Given the strength of opposition not only from MINI but also the likes of the Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio, this was a sound move. The Audi A1 Sportback is also longer and wider to offer more space to compete with others such as the Renault Clio and Nissan Micra. A range of turbo petrol engines offers everything from frugal to fast, while trim options are more varied than the car it replaced. To find out more, read our full Audi A1 Sportback review.

Audi has dared to be a little funkier with the second generation of A1 Sportback, placing it ideally between the sobriety of the Volkswagen Polo and Peugeot 208, and the style-led MINI.

This is not to say the A1 is small. Far from it as it has grown in every direction compared to the first generation of the model that was launched in 2010. The five-door Sportback version then followed in 2012.

When Audi unveiled this replacement in 2018, the A1 had ditched the three-door model and stuck solely to the five-door Sportback version. This makes the A1 a more versatile and practical car for its owners, as well as giving the opposition more competition while not compromising on driving dynamics.

It’s good to drive in town or on the open road, though Audi has yet to learn lessons from the original A1 about suspension settings. This latest A1 Sportback comes with a standard supple set-up, but models with the Sport suspension remain too harsh on most roads.

Also ushered in with this A1 Sportback is Audi’s slightly confusing engine identifying nomenclature. It starts with the 95PS 25 TFSI petrol, which is the first of four turbo petrol motors on offer and has a five-speed manual gearbox or seven-speed S tronic auto. Next up is the 30 TFSI with 116PS and a choice of six-speed manual or the S tronic transmission.

Top of the pile for most trims is the 35 TFSI 1.5 with 150PS and only available with the S tronic gearbox. If you opt for the S Line Competition model with its 40 TFSI boot badge, you get a 2.0-litre turbo petrol motor with 200PS to make this the quickest A1 Sportback in the line-up and this model also comes with stiffer, adjustable sports suspension.

As for trim levels, Audi launched the A1 Sportback with SE as the entry-point to the range, but this has since been renamed Technik. It’s far from basic thanks to 15-inch alloy wheels, LED lights front and rear, while inside there’s Audi’s Smartphone interface and an 8.8-inch touchscreen for the infotainment.

Next in line is the Sport that adds larger 16-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, cruise control and some sporty front seats. S Line customers are treated to 17-inch alloy wheels, exterior styling pack including a more aggressive front grille, and firmer Sport suspension.

There are three additional versions of the S Line, starting with the Contrast Edition that has 18-inch alloys, darkened headlight lenses, Python yellow paint.

It also has a gloss black roof, door mirrors and other outside details in this finish. Choose the Style Edition and you get different alloys in a bronze finish, while inside there’s and LED Ambient Lighting pack. The big change for the Competition is its more potent engine, but it also comes with red brake calipers and platinum grey wheels and door mirror caps.

Finally, the Vorsprung model ups the ante with its own 18-inch wheel design and front sports seats trimmed in Alcantara and leatherette. Audi also includes its MMI Navigation Plus with MMI touch infotainment as well as the Virtual Cockpit that lets the driver configure the main dash display with a variety of different screens.

Looking for a second opinion? Why not read heycar's Audi A1 Sportback review.

The Sport model comes on the standard Dynamic suspension that gives the A1 a ride that’s as cushy and cosseting as the Volkswagen Polo’s.

Things go awry with the other trim levels that come with the Sport suspension. On anything other than near perfectly smooth tarmac, the suspension jiggles rather than flows. It makes for tiring progress, though thankfully Audi lets you tick an option to revert to the standard set-up and we’d thoroughly recommend this.

In every other respect, the A1 Sportback’s suspension works well to deliver sure-footed handling and confidence in corners. The steering is quick to follow the driver’s instructions, although we find it falls short on the feel you get in a Ford Fiesta.

The A1 Sportback is easy to park, though a bit more vision over the driver’s shoulder would be appreciated when changing lanes on the highway. On these faster stretches, you’ll also notice more road noise than in the likes of the Volkswagen Polo.

The A1 Sportback comes with a choice of three of Audi’s TFSI turbo petrol engines, starting with a brace of 1.0-litre three-cylinder motors with 95- or 110PS. Choose the less powerful of these two, called 25, and you get a five-speed manual gearbox or seven-speeder S tronic auto.

Take the 30 TFSI with 110PS and it’s peppier off the mark, though still a little short on puff along the motorway despite its six-speed manual or the S tronic. If your budget allows, it's best to opt for the 35 TFSI with its 1.5-litre turbo petrol and 150PS that only comes with the auto. It’s a more rounded performer and inflicts no fuel economy penalty over 30 TFSI.

Every A1 Sportback has six airbags, ESP stability control and a hill hold assist to prevent the car from rolling backwards as you let off the handbrake on inclines.

They all include a lane departure warning and emergency city braking system. There are twin rear Isofix child seat mounts, rear parking sensors, parking assist, and cruise control with speed limiter. 

The optional Technology Pack includes a reversing camera and parking assistance.

The unbraked maximum towing capacity for the Audi A1 Sportback is 590kg, or you can pull a trailer with brakes with a maximum weight of up to 1200kg.

Audi has made its second stab at the A1 Sportback longer and wider than the 2010-vintage model. It’s also lower, though there’s increased headroom for all occupants to make it feel much roomier inside than before.

The front occupants have plenty of space to stretch out. Each front seat has manual height adjustment and the driver can further hone the seating position with reach and angle movement for the steering wheel. Door bins, glovebox and a tray in front of the gear lever take care of storage.

In the rear, adults can now reside in reasonable comfort. There’s a trio of three-point seat belts in the back too, plus a pair of Isofix child seat mounts. Big door bins will stash all their sweetie wrappers, but that’s it for storage in the hind quarters.

If you need to carry luggage, the A1 Sportback’s boot now offers 335-litres of space. Fold down the 60/40 split and tumble rear seat and you can access up to 1090-litres of cargo capacity. The load floor is flat and under the cover resides a get-you-home puncture repair kit in lieu of a spare wheel.

All seems hunky-dory with the world as your hands are greeted by soft-touch plastics and high-grade materials on the doors, steering wheels and controls. However, more time in the A1 reveals some plastics have been pared back, like the door panels that feel quite cheap.

All A1 Sportbacks come with sports front seats to endow the cabin with more pizzazz. The entry-point Sport comes with plain Novum cloth upholstery on the seats, while the S Line and Black Edition trims trade up with Pulse cloth and part leatherette covering the seats.

Every A1 Sportback has the 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit display with information in a digital cluster. Most models come with the standard 10.1-inch touchscreen to operate the infotainment. The colour screen can connect to your smartphone using Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. There's a USB port to access music, phone calls, sat-nav and other apps if you prefer to do it this way.

Only the Vorsprung model gains the larger 10.1-inch MMI Navigation Plus touchscreen as standard. This provides 3D city models to make it easier to work out where you are in relation to the map. It also has live traffic information, voice recognition and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit that puts the sat-nav map in the main binnacle so it’s easier to glance at as you drive. This system can also be added to other A1 Sportback models with the optional Technology Pack.

There are various options and packs you can add to the A1 to increase its safety kit, luxury items and infotainment. However, it doesn’t take much to up the price by some significant sums, so choose carefully between what you want and what you need.

Expect to pay around £17,000 for a three-year old Audi A1 Sportback, which will come either from a franchised dealer or car supermarket. This will be a car powered by one of the two 1.0-litre TFSI engines.

You’d expect the least powerful Audi A1 Sportback to be the most fuel efficient. However, the 95PS 25 TFSI with manual gearbox manages a best of 50.4mpg, whereas the more potent 110PS 30 TFSI model offers a combined consumption of 52.3mpg according to official figures. Opting for the seven-speed auto ’box with these two engines sees economy drop to 47.9- and 48.7mpg, respectively. The 35 TFSI delivers an average consumption of 47.9, bearing in mind it comes with the automatic transmission as standard.

It's the same deal when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions. The best is the 30 TFSI manual with its 130g/km output, while the 25 TFSI is not far behind on 133g/km. Automatic versions of these engines produce 138- and 140g/km, while the 35 TFSI emits 137g/km. That means all A1 Sportbacks attract a first year VED payment of £255, with road tax in the following years charged at £180 based on current rates.

Insurance should not be onerous with the small Audi as, depending on the model you choose, it sits in groups between 16 and 26.

The Sport model is base camp for the Audi A1 Sportback. It comes sitting on 16-inch alloy wheels with the Dynamic suspension and Drive Select that lets the driver choose between Auto, Dynamic, Efficiency, and Individual modes for the steering, engine and, if fitted, automatic gearbox responses.

With the Sport, you also get front sport seats and Novum cloth upholstery, aluminium cabin trim, air conditioning, and Audi’s 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. In addition to this, the Sport has a 10.1-inch colour infotainment screen worked through a rotary controller or the touchscreen. It incorporates sat-nav, Bluetooth, and voice control, and it can be operated with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Tick the box for the Audi A1 in S Line trim and you gain larger 17-inch alloy wheels and the Sport suspension, though this can be deleted in favour of the more supple Dynamic suspension set-up. The S Line comes with its own badges, colour-coded side sills, and a rear roof spoiler. Inside, the seats are trimmed in Pulse cloth and leatherette, while a black headliner replaces the grey item of the Sport model. There are also stainless steel pedals and LED interior lighting for the S Line.

The Audi A1 Sportback Black Edition has 18-inch alloy wheels and lives up to its name with black-painted door mirror caps, side skirts, roof, Audi badges, and accents in the grille. A flat-bottomed steering wheel comes with contrast stitching to finish off this version of the A1 Sportback.