The All New Audi S1: A1 Has New Competition!

Oct 21, 2015 • By Sharmaine •

Audis most recent little sizzler had an elongated growth period. Why? One, its Name (S1) elevated uncertainties.
Back in the 80's the respected Sport Quattro S1 established Audi's four-wheel drive and rally authorisations. So the instant question was: Would a child in comparison, based on the A1 do justice to the legacy of this rally icon?
More conclusively, the lesser S model needed to be a Quattro, and as the A1 is underpinned by a FWD platform, new rear design would need to be developed: An implementation that is expensive for what in effect would be a niche model.
The little blitz, now powered by the 170kW/350Nm version of the Audi's TFSi turbo engine, still has enough grunt to run the 0-100km/h sprint in just 5,8sec (5,9 for the Sportback), according to Audi, and reach a top speed of 250km/h.
In its class, nothing – not even Mini's JWC specials – delivers similar performance, but the BMW owned brand is clearly responding, having only just publicised a new JWC version, also with 170kW on tap.
Besides the soon-to-be facelifted A1 grille the small flagship is further discerned by quadruple exhaust outlets, a slightly dissimilar body kit, xenon headlights and new LED rear lights. Oh, and do not forget the S-line trim and lots of S1 badging.

Well, they share some qualities, and was soon made clear after a couple of laps around Kyalami. Presumably some lay-out compromises had to be made with the Quattro system, which creates a feel of being nose-heavy, just like the original S1.
This is mostly sorted by a torque vectoring system and unique four-link rear suspension setup, as well as variable damping (with Dynamic, Auto and Efficiency modes).
Its heaps of low-down torque, an engaging six-speed manual ‘box and surefooted handing in Dynamic mode makes it a great track machine – as long as the ESP is left on.
Disengage the ESP system, push it into corners and it suddenly becomes a different animal – its inherent nose-heaviness making it prone to unexpected understeer.
On normal roads the S1's ride quality is hard, even in Auto mode, while not unforgivingly harsh. And while it seduces you with its sizzling performance, it is not as complete a package as the better sorted S3. So, in the end is it worth its large price tag of close to R450k?
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