Audi A1 2020 review: 35 TFSI S tronic

Exactly how you might expect a well-designed premium European hatchback to look. The curves from the first-generation A1 are gone and sharp design elements abound, starting up front with the headlights and LED DRLs, book-ending the big grille. It’s a sharper and more athletic looking car, and for mine, it puts the bigger A3 hatch in the shade.

The A1 is a sharper and more athletic looking car.

There are various metallic paint finishes on offer, but my test car was  dressed in Python Yellow and topped with a contrasting black roof. While the yellow would not be my first (or second) choice, the contrasting roof colour ($890 option) is worth considering.  

Behind the steering wheel is Audi's virtual cockpit.

The interior fit-out is spot on, too, with a continuation of the angular design used on the exterior. It’s clean, stylish and functional. The touchscreen is neatly ensconced in the dash and angled towards to the driver, too. While there are various hard plastics used throughout, the fit and finish delivers on the premium promise.   

Roomy enough for weekday hops but a squeeze on the weekend. The good news is this new generation A1 has been stretched by 94mm, which does deliver some extra space. Upfront headroom and leg room is plentiful and the seating positions provide good support and comfort. Sitting behind my driving position I had a couple of inches of head room, but only a finger-width of knee space.  

Sitting behind my driving position I had a couple of inches of head room, but only a finger-width of knee space.

While the boot space has improved by 65 litres on the previous generation (to 335 litres VDA) we had to milk every last litre of space to squeeze all our gear in over the weekend. Cargo capacity increases to 1090 litres with the 60/40 seats folded down. Small families considering this car would do well to test out the boot, particularly if they have a pram.

With the rear seats in place, boot space is rated at 335 litres VDA.

Like most urban-focused hatchbacks, the A1 proved to be a capable daily driver. Its smaller dimensions are well suited to city driving, navigating tight spaces and parking of any sort. That said, the ride is on the firm side, which became a little more wearing on longer trips over the weekend.  

Storage upfront is impressive with a large bin under the climate controls, three cupholders and a centre console box. Passengers in the rear seat have a bottle holder in each door but no cupholders, centre arm rest or map pockets.

Rear passengers have a bottle holder in each door but no cupholders.

It’s worth noting that the seats are positioned quite low to the floor but are fully adjustable for those upfront. Visibility from the driver’s seat is good with parking sensors (front and rear) and a quality rear camera to help when needed.

There are two USB ports and a wireless phone charging bay, plus the tech is intuitive and easy to read and use. More on that later.

The A1 has been awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating thanks to a strong standard safety list. Headlining the safety stuff  is the auto emergency braking system (AEB), which works up to 250km/h for other vehicles or up to 65km/h for pedestrians, and which is joined by lane departure warning and lane keep assist.

Our 35 TFSI also came with six airbags, stability control and braking aids. Parents carrying young kids can make use of two ISOFIX anchors or three top-tether points.

Absentees include blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, neither of which are available on any A1 model.

The mid-grade 35 TFSI is priced at $35,290, placing it $3000 more than the 30 TFSI and some $11,000 cheaper than the top of the range 40 TFSI. It’s worth noting our 35 TFSI was optioned with metallic paint ($990), contrasting black roof paint ($890), cloth upholstery in Novum style ($500), Style package ($2,990) and Technik package ($3200), bringing the final price to $40,160.

Standard inclusions for your $35,290 include 17-inch wheels, keyless entry and push-start, ambient interior lighting, auto-dimming rear vision mirror, armrest centre console, and a wireless phone charging bay.