Audi A1 Sportback Review & Prices

The Audi A1 is a perfect example of the power of a premium brand. We all know that it's basically a Volkswagen Polo under the skin, but the four Audi rings add a sheen of high-quality to it, and allow Audi to charge way more for it — it’s like serving a cheese and ham sandwich on a gold-leaf plate.

In a market that’s shrinking because everyone is switching to small SUVs, the Audi A1 still has some alternatives you could consider, not least the Volkswagen Polo with which it shares a chassis and engines, but also the new Mini Cooper (which is also available with an electric version) and classy-looking Peugeot 208.

The A1 might be ageing a bit now, but it’s still a good looking car, with a miniaturised version of the big Audi grille, and lots of rally-car-style black air intakes, which upon closer inspection turn out to be fake blank panels. We’ll forgive the A1 this, though, as it just looks so pugnacious. It gets even better if you’re prepared to spend extra on two-tone paint and bigger alloy wheels.

Thankfully you don’t have to spend big to make sure the interior look good — even the most basic version comes with two big screens (instruments and infotainment) and there are standard sports front seats, too. Overall quality is excellent, too so while Audi might have down-sized the car, it hasn’t scrimped on the materials.

While the Audi A1 might be small, it’s actually pretty roomy inside (thank those Polo genes for that) and four adults can fit quite comfortably. There’s a roomy boot too, so the A1 is fit for purpose for big shops, trips to the golf club, or even carrying luggage for a week away.

Mind you, that’s probably not what most A1s are used for. More likely, they’re used for nipping in and out of town, making the most of those slim exterior dimensions and tight turning circle, not to mention the A1’s light and easy controls. You can see out of it easily up front, but over-the-shoulder visibility isn’t so good.

The engine range is more limited now than it used to be. Audi has trimmed out the bigger, more powerful engines, as well as the diesel options, and there’s no sign of an electric nor hybrid A1 yet. Your choice is limited to a 1.0-litre petrol engine with either 94hp or 116hp. You can also pick between a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, which Audi calls S-Tronic. These engines are better suited to in-town work, rather than long motorway runs, but they’re game enough for bigger drives when required.

On those long drives, it helps to have an A1 with the seven-speed S-Tronic automatic, but beware the low-speed hesitancy of that gearbox, which can make joining fast-flowing roundabouts a bit of a heart-in-mouth job. Equally, while the Audi A1 feels pleasantly crisp to drive, it’s nowhere near as much fun on a country road as a Mini Cooper.

While it might be old, and while everyone else might be shopping for SUVs, the Audi A1 still does a really good job of providing a luxury car feel in a down-sized and more affordable package.

Why not see how much you can save by checking out the latest Audi A1 Sportback deals or get a great price on a used A1 Sportback from our network of trusted dealers. You can look at other used Audis too, and if you want to change your car completely, you can also sell your car through Carwow.

With just the two engine choices, Audi has also trimmed the A1’s model lineup down to three trim levels — Sport, S-Line, and Black Edition. In its cheapest Sport 25 TFSI form, it’s actually slightly cheaper than the most basic petrol-powered Mini Cooper C, and also offers an extra pair of doors as standard.

Not surprisingly, the Peugeot 208 is much cheaper in its basic form, but it’s probably fairer to compare the 100hp Peugeot 208 mild-hybrid, which is a match for the cheapest A1 on price. A Volkswagen Polo is also considerably cheaper than an A1, but it’s worth remembering that you can only have the 116hp 1.0-litre engine in a Polo R-Line, which is actually more expensive than the Audi A1 30 TFSI in Sport form.

Finally, it’s always worth a look at the Skoda Fabia — it uses all of the same mechanical bits as the A1, has a bigger boot, and costs some £3,000 less.

Refined and stylish it may be, but the A1 Sportback isn’t a car that will stir your senses

In town

Given its compact dimensions, you’d expect the A1 to be a town-focused car that is perfectly at home in congested streets. But while forward visibility is great the enormous rear pillars make manoeuvring harder than it should be, so it’s not as easy as it ought to be to park. That said, it’s a very pleasant and refined car in which to spend time and is a cut above the usual small car if you’re going to sit in city traffic, especially with those standard sports front seats.

On the motorway

As small cars go, the A1 Sportback is very refined, especially at cruising speeds where both road and wind noise are very well suppressed for such a small car. That Audi badge means more than just status, it also means the A1 has bigger-car refinement. It feels like a quality machine, even if the basic 94hp engine means you’ll have to change down for long inclines.

On a twisty road

Whatever you do, don’t expect Mini levels of roadholding or agility here. It’s not that the A1 doesn’t handle well – it’s never anything but reassuring – but it just doesn’t have the sharp point-to-point feel that makes the Mini Cooper C so engaging. It’s a civilised and grown-up small car but not a sporty one, though it does have good levels of grip and impressive, powerful brakes. Comfort-wise, it’s fine on smooth roads, but it tends to feel unsettled and jiggly on uneven and broken surfaces.

Smartly designed and impressively spacious, the A1 Sportback is a practical small car, but visibility isn’t great

Now in its third generation, the Audi A1 has evolved to become a grown-up five-door small hatch rather than the characterful small hatch it began life as. By modern standards, it’s almost arrestingly small, especially when you park it next to a supposed compact crossover. The cabin is neatly and clinically styled with a premium feel, but the thick rear pillars mean rear parking sensors or cameras are a very useful option as rear visibility is pretty poor. It’s an easy car to get comfortable in though, with lumbar support on all but the entry-level model and firm yet supportive seats.

Space in the back seats

In the rear, the A1 Sportback offers a little more flexibility than comparative small hatches, and it’s vastly roomier and more practical than even the five-door version of the Mini Cooper. It’ll fit four adults in relative comfort, given it’s a small car, and is certainly near the top of the class for rear seat comfort. There are two ISOFIX mounting points.

Boot space

The Sportback is generally pretty good in terms of luggage capacity, with 335 litres of space with the back seats locked in place and 1,090 with them folded flat.

You’ll find a lot less boot space in a Mini (211 litres), but there’s more in the VW Polo (351 litres) and SEAT Ibiza (355 litres). However, all of these are out-done by the Skoda Fabia’s 380 litres (as big as a Golf’s boot, fact fans…).

The rear seats split-fold in 60:40 formation, but unless you have moved the adjustable boot floor up a notch, they leave a significant lip which you have to lift heavy items over. Even with the floor adjusted up, there’s still a quite deep lip at the edge of the boot.

Interior quality matches the high-end hatchback price tag, although cheaper plastics are not completely eliminated

Part of the A1’s appeal (and justification for its premium price tag) is its interior quality and it certainly looks the part, with soft-touch materials on the dashboard, high-quality switches and piano black trim highlights. Look closely, though, and it’s not as high-end as it first appears, with cheaper grade plastics on the doors and around the (proper) handbrake and gear surrounds.

Traditional heating and ventilation knobs are welcome compared to the fiddly touch-screen controls of some rivals, but the dials and instruments are all digital, with the option of swapping the standard 10.3-inch display for a more configurable ‘Smart Cockpit’. All models get Bluetooth, DAB and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring on the standard-fit 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, while you can also add a Sonos ‘3D’ stereo system.

In terms of running costs the A1 is expensive to buy but holds its value better than key alternatives, with the highest residual values in the class. All versions of the Audi A1 have a 1.0-litre petrol engine, with power outputs ranging from 94hp to 116hp depending on the version.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 94hp version is the most efficient with a claimed 52mpg, though the 116hp models aren't far behind, returning up to 51mpg.

When it comes to your annual Vehicle Excise Duty tax bill, the rate you'll pay won't vary much across the range, and all are relatively low. In company car tax terms, most alternatives will be cheaper thanks to the A1’s fairly steep list price, although the cheapest A1 BIK rate is still a reasonable £112 per month.

The Audi A1 achieved a full five stars in Euro NCAP testing, and safety kit includes Audi Pre-sense ‘Front’ with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, which assists braking in the event of something shooting out in front of the car. It also gets Lane Departure Warning, Hill Start Assist and a speed limiter that you can set from the driving menu. All A1 Sportbacks get the Audi Connect Safety and Service including e-call, which alerts the emergency services for you in the event of an accident.

Audi offers a pretty basic three-year/60,000-mile warranty on the A1 Sportback including breakdown cover and recovery, and the bodywork warranty is 12 years. There have been no UK recalls so far and being as it’s basically the same as a Polo underneath, we wouldn’t expect to see any major problems in terms of reliability. That said, the A1 only came in 43rd position in the Auto Express Driver Power survey, behind such key alternatives as the Peugeot 208 (6th) and the outgoing Mini Hatchback (5th).