Audi hatches an A1 plan

MANILA, Philippines - Quite simply, it’s this: lull the competition into complacency, then give them the reliable one-two combination.

Lord of the four rings it is not, but the new A1 hatchback is certainly worthy to be among the fellowship of the Audi stable. For starters, it’s an overachiever that doesn’t appear to know that “only” 1.4 liters of displacement growls under the hood, but more on that later. Originally launched at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the A1 shares stylistic cues with its siblings, which leaves no doubt as to its bloodline.

The sumptuous grille, the signature LED-fringed Xenon Plus lamps and, of course, the interlaced rings—all add up to a subcompact package promising an A1 experience. The side profile of the car features a “coupé-like” C-pillar that softens the rear visual. Speaking of which, the A1 has an elegantly styled behind that gives hint to its sporty heritage and premium character. This is an Audi, after all.

But don’t take my word for it—the small car has already been conferred a number of industry awards from car magazines and such.

Small cars seldom get attention because they are generally meant to be utilitarian and inexpensive—a frills-free affair that’s long on savings and short on inspired driving. Coming in at a shade under P2 million, the A1 doesn’t go for peanuts, but peanuts are not what you get with it.

The Audi A1 is not a point-and-shoot car. A lot of thinking and technology went into making this pocket rocket that generates 122 ps and a mind-boggling 200 Nm of torque on the way to a claimed top speed of 203 kph. The secret is in the sauce—a turbocharger—and by mating the engine with a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch tranny. Audi says this provides quick shifting sans “perceptible interruption” to power. You can do the shifting yourself via paddles behind the steering wheel, or foolproof your drive via automatic setting.

Audi says the A1 targets a “young, urban, lifestyle-oriented public. (It is) both a modern city car and a sporty all-rounder.”

One can imagine how this will resonate to beyond this intended market. When you get behind the wheel, you are ensconced in a cockpit worthy of a bigger, more elegant sedan. The legible, intelligently laid out instrumentation and knobs delights in functional understatement. Bannered by a fold-out color screen on the top center dash, the A1 shares its MMI (multimedia interface) navigation plus media center with the more premium A8. A1 connectivity boasts the Audi Music Interface, Bluetooth interface, and Voice Dialogue System.

On the road, the A1 thinks it’s a sports car equipped with a much bigger engine. On a straight, I got liberal with the accelerator, and it rewarded me with a quick jump. The paddle shifters came in handy and gave me a great chance for some game-face imagination. Someone ought to tell this car it’s a 1.4.

But I digress, let it overreach and think otherwise. We certainly reap the benefits via a mind-blowing fuel efficiency claim of 18.86 km/L.

Now that I have snagged your attention, PGA Cars (local distributor of Audi) makes the special S-line edition available at no premium for the first 30 buyers. They get the following features free: Comfort key; push start; sport front seats; sprint cloth/leather with embossed S-line logo in front back seats; and Audi Exclusive cast alloy wheels with a 17-inch, five twin-spoke design. PGA Cars values these free niceties at P400,000.

Now’s a good time as any to bloody the competition.