It’s mid-summer, and Audi is celebrating in style with this: the new A1 Cabriolet.
The German supermini first broke cover last October as the Metroproject Quattro – a concept designed to showcase both the A1 and Audi’s clever electric-hybrid powertrain.
Auto Express revealed sketches of the model in Issue 981, and ever since then, the baby Audi has been casting a shadow over the car that’s set to be its main rival: the MINI.
Audi has never been one to hold back its engineers when it comes to new challenges, and it sees the premium supermini class dominated by the baby BMW as a lucrative market.
So, with an eye on the biggest possible slice of the cake, the A1 will aim to steal sales from the popular Mini Convertible. Our exclusive pictures reveal exactly how the drop-top will look when it debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009, before hitting dealers the following year.
The roof mechanism is more sophisticated than that of the MINI. It’s a powered hood which folds down electrically and is swallowed into the boot, rather than sitting on top of the car behind the rear bulkhead.
Audi bosses have put form over function with the two-seater, although as there is no rear bench the car should offer enough load space to take the weekly shopping.
This approach means it’s vital that the drop-top looks the part – and as you can see, it doesn’t disappoint. It gets a strong family shape, throwing in few surprises but oozing class thanks to clean lines and the trademark Audi grille. A sharp crease which runs from the shoulder line and around the rim of the bonnet emphasises the shape of the nose, while the flared wheelarches are reminiscent of the firm’s TT Cabriolet.
At the rear, twin integrated exhaust pipes straddle a trapezoidal bumper insert, and a strong line splits the tailgate above the lights.
Expect the cabin to be Audi’s usual array of well damped, orderly switchgear, although details such as unique interior colour and trim combinations will distinguish the A1 from the brand’s other small models. The latest Multi Media Interface (MMI) will appear, too.
A heavy quattro four-wheel-drive system was deemed unnecessary, particularly as the cabrio has extra torsional rigidity to make up for losing the roof. Under the bonnet, the cabrio will more than match the Mini, as it will be able to take its pick from the VW Group’s engine line-up. Most intriguing is the inclusion of both 140bhp and 170bhp 1.4 TSI turbo and supercharged units currently found in the Golf GT Sport. These will use a six-speed double-clutch gearbox powering the front wheels.
TSI versions are set to be sales leaders, due to their appealing combination of refinement, performance and economy. A 150bhp 1.8 turbo engine will line up alongside the clever TSI unit, and the range will also include an entry-level 1.6 with 102bhp. Two 2.0-litre TDI oil-burners will feature, rated at 140bhp and 170bhp.
Even though some of these motors creep close to MINI Cooper S territory, Audi’s trump card will be a hot S1. This gets the same engine as the 261bhp S3 when it arrives in 2011.
Chassis
Borrowing heavily from construction techniques mastered on the A2 – the car the A1 hatch replaces – the Cabriolet will be produced using steel and aluminium. This method has already been used in the TT, and helps to keep weight down.
Engines
Much is being made of the new 1.4-litre TSI unit that debuted in the VW Golf. It’s fitted with a supercharger and turbo, and also features in the Scirocco. But the A1 could get a petrol-electric motor, too – making it the world’s first hybrid cabriolet.
Roof
the electrically operated fabric top will be cut from the same cloth as that which features on the A3 and A4 cabrios. There is no chance the car will be a metal-roofed coupé-cabriolet, because the mechanism would be too bulky and heavy to fit beneath the bodywork.
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