Audi's A1 gives MINI a run for its money

Within hours of the long-awaited MINI rival's arrival it was set to work on a monotonous run down the M1.

It proved to be the perfect opportunity for the little Audi to show how its engineers had managed to condense the brand’s usual build quality into its diminutive dimensions.

Big car composure at motorway speeds and a seven-speed automatic gearbox ensured that I alighted nearly 200 miles later feeling as fresh as I might have expected had I made the trip in a much larger Audi A6.

It’s a remarkable feat considering that A1 prices start at £13,420 for the 86bhp 1.2-litre TFSI.

The 122bhp (and 147lb.ft. of torque) 1.4-litre TFSI Sport spec car tested here—complete with Audi’s seven-speed, dual-clutch S-tronic gearbox—comes in at a MINI Cooper S-rivalling £18,605, though, and concedes a full 59bhp to the BMW-produced supermini.

A1 versus MINI was billed as a battle that would rage on the forecourts but they have brought a very different set of weapons to the conflict.

While the MINI appeals on an emotional level with its hyperactive driving dynamics and retro-chic looks, the Audi is 100 per cent premium car in a small package.

Mated to the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters of the S-tronic gearbox, the A1’s turbocharged 1.4-litre engine revs freely and offers a useful spread of torque.

An abrupt step away from junctions is the only chink in the armour of a high-tech gearbox which helps the little Audi hit 62mph in 8.9 seconds and a 121mph top speed, while returning 54.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 119g/km.

A 185bhp version of the same 1.4-litre TFSI engine will reach 62mph a full two seconds faster, but prices start at the top side of £20,000.

Apart from the occasionally tardy starts, the gearbox works well and, in its Sport setting, encourages fast progress as up-shifts pass with sharp-witted precision.

Despite the eagerness of the engine and gearbox, however, the A1’s handling cannot live with the ever-playful MINI.

While the front end lacks the MINI’s hyperactive turn-in, the rear lacks adjustability, resulting in rapid, but less engaging, progress down twisting B-roads.

The A1 is the more refined drive, however, and absorbs road imperfections with greater aplomb.

And although many MINI lovers might not immediately be blown away by its more contemporary styling, the sense of quality is impossible to fault.

A multi-function steering wheel, stylish sports seats, a simple dash layout with tactile rotary dials for air conditioning, and a 6.5-inch screen which emerges from the top of the dash to offer a window into the functions of the stereo and bluetooth telephone connection.

The Sat-Nav preparation—all the buttons but none of the functions—proved a touch frustrating.

Another area where the A1 seemed lacking was rear headroom, a falling roofline compromising rear accomodation in the same manner as Fiat’s 500.

LED running day lights and LED brake lights add some jewellery to a conservatively-styled exterior which can be further embellished with optional aluminium-effect roof arches.

Still, the greatest strengths of the A1 remain its sheer, class-leading quality and big car refinement rather than its outright style or handling.

The A1 oozes premium appeal but falls short of fun served up by a MINI, or a Citroen DS3 for that matter.

The Benjamin Button of the small car sector...the A1 has been born with an astounding level of maturity, but its not the coolest kid in town.