Audi A1 Performane review

Any fears that the A1 Quattro’s double-hard appearance might be let down by its performance are smoothly but indomitably quashed by the opening salvo from the ridiculously over-endowed engine.

Never mind the headline power figure; with a huge and constant 258lb ft slug of torque from just 2,500rpm all the way to 4,500rpm, the Quattro surges through town centre traffic with the brawny ease of an Olympic sprinter. The potency is obvious from the moment you turn the key.

The quoted 5.7-second 0-62mph time hardly does it justice

And as with all tweaked up versions of this old 2.0-litre turbo motor, it has the feel of something ever so slightly illicit – more like a tuner car than a factory endorsed development.

This sensation is only reinforced in the A1 by the lengthy throw to the gearbox; just how far you have to move the lever around the gate emphasises the inappropriate appearance of this particular drivetrain in this particular car. But boy, when the road opens out does the engine ever go to work.

The quoted 5.7-second 0-62mph time hardly does it justice – even on ice-cold UK roads in March, the four-wheel drive traction is almost absolute, translating the torque into turbocharged momentum with snarling ruthlessness.

Cling on, and it keeps giving. Max power shows up at 6,000rpm, and the A1 snaps towards the rev limiter. Wring it right the way out, and this little bundle of fireworks will reputedly hit 152mph. We don’t doubt it.

The noise isn’t entirely inspiring, with a kind of booming coarseness inside the cabin at flat chat. 100mm tailpipes make this better on the outside – with the occasional pop adding spice to the upshifts – but what with this and the Quattro’s visual assault you can forget any expectations of stealth.