Wings Of DeZir

The petrol 1.4 – sampled with the ultra-efficient
auto – soon proved our favourite, capable both of
frugal cruising and joyous rushes of acceleration,
further honed by selecting ‘sport’ mode.
Audi says these cars are the lightest premium
models on the market – the entry-level A1 tips
the scales at 1040kg – and it will pull from the
1500rpm, when the torque peak arrives, until
4000rpm, where it drops off. It claims 5.3l/100km
fuel economy.
Initial impressions suggest the A1 will be a
rewarding drive. It is based on a variation of the VW
Polo platform but with a wider track and a different
suspension tune. There was little discernible body
roll and a hint of understeer, while the steering
feels direct and precise.
Audi does not pitch A1 directly against the more
sporting Minis, but the handling feels sufficiently
assured to have us looking forward to a date with a
more sinuous stretch of road than we were afforded
in Germany.
As for the 1.6 diesel, it performed well enough
with the manual, but was lazy at low revs and
required a brisk throttle attack before reaching
the livelier response zone above 1700rpm.
Perhaps because of our vigorous approach, we
could not match Audi’s 3.9l/100km consumption
claim, but still achieved an impressive
4.2l/100km over a mixed bag of 120km/h
motorway cruising and central Berlin’s
evening gridlock.
Fortunately, the car is agile round town
and all-round visibility is excellent for the
driver.
Shorter rear passengers may regret the
high waistline, but they are not secondclass
citizens in other respects. The two
seats divided by a double cupholder and
cubby deliver sufficient elbow room and
reasonable head room. Entry and egress is
reasonable via the wide front doors.
Audi is covering its bases with a wide range
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