Distance: 298 km
Date: 30 September 2023
Location: England
Up front: I prefer the interior materials to the similarly-priced Hyundai Ioniq than this entry-level Audi. The Audi lacks a centre console and usable armrests on the doors making long journeys fatiguing. While all touch points feel premium, the dashboard is made of moulded metal-esque plastic and fingerprint-hogging piano black plastic. Lots of plastic.
The counter screen is nice and large for navigation and the digital gauge cluster has additional information, but it takes too much effort to scroll through the menu to find what you need. While the seats and steering wheel aren’t powered, they do offer a wide range of movement—including lumbar support. Both front seat occupants can be comfortably seated as in a larger hatchback at the cost of folks in the back.
In the back: There isn’t much space in the back for adults with legs and child safety seat certainly won’t fit comfortably. While I admire Audi’s effort to install three seat belts in this four-door version of its smallest car, three adults will not fit back here side-by-side. The boot is reasonably large for a sub-compact hatchback and is suitable for two adults on week-long trips.
Driving: The A1’s automatic drive mode is sufficiently responsive for most needs, rendering sport mode useless. It kicks into speed when the accelerator is depressed and stops on a dime in an emergency. Although it runs and sounds like a turbocharged three-cylinder, it drives like a more mature straight four with little turbo lag. Acceleration is brisk up to 50 km/h and an admirable 9.5 seconds to 100 km/h.
Around town, navigating roundabouts and parking lots is easy with its small size and intuitive steering wheel feedback. However, a thick A pillar blocking forward visibility and the lack of a rear view camera might deter new drivers.
