Audi has released its first official video, along with accompanying photographs, of its A1 model, to début at next month’s Salon de Genève car show.
The emphasis of the new model is on quality, which Audi says its young buyers want in a compact package. The A1 model is aimed squarely at the BMW Group’s Mini and the Alfa Romeo MiTo, Lucire’s Car to Be Seen in for 2009.
The Audi A1 shares a platform with the latest Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo, which had won European Car of the Year at the end of 2009.
Audi says that the two diesel and two petrol engines produce between 63 and 90 kW, delivering between 3·8 and 5·4 l/100 km (c. 43½ and 62 mpg US). The 1·6 TDI manual, delivering 66 kW, emits 99 g of carbon dioxide per kilometre. All models feature a recuperation system that allows them to recover energy while braking, and an automatic stop–start system. The cars are available with Audi’s dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox.
The entry-level price is expected to be c. €16,000.