Audi surprises with this efficient, peppy three-cylinder 115hp A1 which sports a brilliant interior
It doesn't matter what you say about Audi — the allure of the four rings is too much — but if you know which engine to go for you'll be getting the best car for the best deal
BLAH. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Audi. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Audi. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.
I sometimes think it doesn’t matter what I write about Audi because you’ll want one anyway.
Even if I said this A1 was a fussy, overpriced, re-wrapped VW Polo, you’d just say, “Yeah, but what colour should I get?”
It’s all about those four rings.
So at least let me nudge you towards the best engine.
Surprisingly, it’s NOT the range-topping 200hp 2-litre petrol turbo nicked from the Polo GTI. That’s dull. That needs more chillis.
Key facts:
AUDI A1
Price: £18,540
Engine: 1-litre 3cyl turbo
Power: 115hp
0-62mph: 9.5 secs
Top speed: 126mph
Economy: 58mpg
CO2: 108g/km
Rivals: Mini 5dr
Out: Now
Nor is it the clever 150hp 1.5 which shuts off two cylinders under light load to preserve the polar bears. Although that was fine and smooth.
It is actually the little 1-litre three- cylinder producing 115hp. That’s light, peppy, efficient, sounds great and has enough power for most people. It suits the car.
And it’s cheaper.
Which means you can spend the extra cash on luxuries like heated seats and a Bang & Olufsen sound system, or a hand-writing touchscreen assuming, of course, you are left-handed and don’t write like a toddler.
As for the cabin itself, that’s typically brilliant Audi.
The digital instrument cluster is standard, as is the central touchscreen (angled 13 degrees towards the driver, the most of any Audi) and everything else you see and touch is trimmed better than Mr Bonzai’s back garden.
But, best of all, it has a manual handbrake. Hurrah.
Other things to note. Five-door only. Decent boot (up 65 litres to 335 litres). A zillion personalisation options. LED lights as standard.
'Updated' Audi R8
AUDI has “updated” the R8 by adding ten more horses.
Yep, TEN.
That equates to around 0.0002 seconds a lap faster on a racetrack and even less on the road. But I still thought I’d try it, just to be sure.
The 5.2-litre naturally- aspirated V10 is now 620hp and bangs out the 0-62mph sprint in 3.1 seconds. Top speed is 205.7mph – because the extra 0.7 really matters.
Not much else has changed. But when it looks and sounds as good as it does, it didn’t need to.
Yours for £141,000.
Audi anoraks might also spot the three flat bonnet slits, a nod to the 80s Quattro. The R8 has adopted them too.
I like it but I don’t like it. They should have been reserved for the hot S1 Quattro.
Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.
I’m surprised you’ve read down this far. I thought you’d be on the blower to Audi by now.
#FuelMonty
FEELING brave? Strip down to your undies at a petrol pump tomorrow, tag your photo #FuelMonty on social media, and earn a £100 fuel voucher from Vanarama for joining its protest against rising fuel prices.
But don’t blame me if you end up getting fined/arrested/humiliated in the cold.
How far can you travel with £50 worth of fuel
- UK – 384 miles.
- USA – 774 miles
- Iran – 2,356 miles.
Do one, Hammond. We need fuel duty CUT by 3p a litre.
Nitro Circus
FINAL reminder. The Nitro Circus stunt show starring Travis Pastrana calls at Manchester MEN Arena before moving to London’s O2 Arena. Don’t miss it. Tickets at .
ECO AND CHIC EVOQUE Mk2
IN the history of cars, the Range Rover Evoque will go down as one of the great designs.
If a little compromised.
The problem is the sloping roof and high waist means the rear window is little bigger than a letterbox and even worse to see out of.
The solution?
Flick a switch from the underside of the rear-view mirror and it turns into a HD screen beaming footage from a roof camera. Very clever.
How about front-view cameras that see under the front of the vehicle?
Yep, it’s got them too. Handy for high kerbs, right? Although it’s more meaty off-road too.
Calm the rage
SWANSEA is the road rage capital of Britain. Watford has the highest accident rate. Keep calm, people. We all need to be somewhere.
Rooney's Range Rover sale
WAYNE Rooney’s old Range Rover Vogue Overfinch is up for auction in Buxton next week. Estimate: £20,000. It cost him £80k in 2009.
The next-gen Evoque will also be hybrid - 48v mild-hybrid initially (no messy cables) – and capable of 50mpg.
Even more eco plug-in hybrids with three-cylinder engines will follow in 2020.
The 2019 Evoque Mk2 will also feature sustainable recycled fabrics, twin touchscreens, super-slim headlights and flush door handles like the Velar.
And even though the cabin is bigger – another flaw of the original Evoque – the footprint and overall look is the same.
E-BMW 3 Series
THIS BMW 3 Series looks like any other BMW 3 Series – except it’s not. It’s the 330e plug-in hybrid that sticks up two fingers at Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ zones. It can do 37 miles on pure electric, up to 138mpg, and emits just 39g/km. But it also has a boost button – increasing power by 41hp to 252hp. Want.
It sounds like a clever, eco chic evolution.
The new car will be unveiled in London tonight. Expect prices from £32,000.
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