Audi A1

The Audi A1 (internally designated Typ 8X) is a supermini-class car launched by Audi at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Sales of the initial three door A1 model started in Germany in August 2010, with the United Kingdom following in November 2010. The car is aimed mostly at young, affluent urban buyers. The A1 is designed to compete with the Mini, and Alfa Romeo MiTo. The A1 is produced at Audi's Belgium factory in Forest, near Brussels. The A1 is based on the Volkswagen Group PQ25 platform, the same platform used in the SEAT Ibiza Mk4 and the VW Polo Mk5, and in its development Audi has collaborated with SEAT. The A1 uses a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension. The 100,000th A1 was produced in June of 2011.

The new Audi A1 also sets new efficiency standards. Audi is sending the new model line into the fray with four four-cylinder engines, with the two TDI and two TFSI gasoline engines producing between 63 kW (86 hp) and 90 kW (122 hp). All of the engines follow the downsizing principle - they substitute turbocharging for displacement and draw their fuel through direct injection units.

All versions of the Audi A1 impress with good fuel economy, with standard cycle values between 3.8 and 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers (43.56 - 61.90 US mpg) (provisional values). The 1.6 TDI with 66 kW (90 hp) and manual transmission emits only 99 g of CO2 per kilometer (159.33 g/mile). All of the engines are equipped with a recuperation system that allows them to recover energy during braking, and are coupled with an automatic start-stop system. A new temperature management system with switched water pump contributes to the low fuel consumption of the 1.2 TFSI.

Audi will initially offer the Audi A1 with four engines. The two TFSI gasoline engines and the two TDI diesels cover a power range from 63 kW (86 hp) to 90 kW (122 hp). Each of them is state-of-the-art. All of the engines employ direct fuel injection and turbocharging. This downsizing concept coupled with technologies from the Audi modular efficiency platform give them tremendous power with minimal fuel consumption ranging from 3.8 to 5.4 liters per 100 km (43.56 - 61.90 US mpg).

The entry-level gasoline engine is the new 1.2 TFSI. It generates 63 kW (86 hp) and produces its peak torque of 160 Nm (118.01 lb-ft) already between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm. Coupled with a five-speed manual transmission, the four-cylinder accelerates the Audi A1 from 0 to 100 km/h (0 - 62.14 mph) in 12.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 179 km/h (111.23 mph). In the EU driving cycle, it consumes only 5.1 liters of fuel per 100 km (46.12 US mpg), which corresponds to only 119 grams of CO2/km (191.51 g/mile).