THE ONE TO HAVE? (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_audis1_2014

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 81

The smallest of Audi's S-cars from the 2013-2018 period was the desirable little S1, a premium priced supermini shopping rocket that offered a concentrated dose of quattro. There's more to this model than just all-wheel drive traction too. Other features unique amongst really compact hot hatches include adaptive damping and a properly potent 231PS output, enough to power you to 62mph in under 6s. In other words, though certainly an S1 may be small, it's definitely made of the right stuff.

Modelsword count: 7

Models Covered: 3dr/5dr Hatch (2.0 TFSI petrol)

Historyword count: 303

Four-wheel drive in a potent little hatchback offering around 230PS beneath the bonnet is a formula that has worked well for Audi in the past. That's pretty much what their original S3 hot hatch offered when we first saw it back in 1999, a car these days much more powerful - but also far pricier. Beneath it back in 2013, there was space for an entry-level Audi S model to offer a more grown-up option in the smallest segment of a shopping rocket sector that in supermini size, had never before offered 4WD. Welcome to the S1. Yes, it values the same as a bigger family hatchback-sized quick compact like a Golf GTI or a Ford Focus ST. No, you may not care about that because an S1 is slightly lighter, slightly quicker and comes with the added bonus of 4WD. It's another example of the way that it can often make sense to downsize your fast hatchback by a class in order to get yourself something really special. Something like this. This S1 represented almost the first time Audi had offered quattro traction on something this small. We say 'almost' because those of you who don't miss a trick might remember the brand's rather special A1 Quattro model from 2012, a low volume 255PS special ambitiously priced at Porsche Cayman money and only offered in left hand drive. Call that a toe in the water. While this S1 wasn't quite as potent as the A1 Quattro, it had more torque, more class, had the steering wheel on the right side for our market and cost 40% less. As a result, just like its namesake, the World Rally Championship-winning Audi S1 of the 1980s, this car, launched here in late 2013, promised to be a game-changer for its maker. It sold until 2018.

What You Getword count: 1054

If you were expecting bulging quattro-style wheel arches and big spoilers, then you might at first be a little disappointed by this S1. Many original buyers chose the extra cost 'quattro exterior styling pack', with its bigger rear spoiler, larger wheels and gloss black roof. Without that, you might struggle to tell it apart from a more ordinary sportily-trimmed A1 model. Unless of course you were able to park an A1 and an S1 side by side. It's then that you'll really appreciate the differences. Yes, all the sheet metalwork on the S1 is the same, but the front end benefits from a deeper front bumper with larger air intakes, a unique 'S design' grille and these lovely Xenon plus headlights that make such a difference when driving at night on unfamiliar country roads. This car sits lower to the road too, hunkered down over its larger alloys in a really aggressive stance, an effect further aided by the S side skirts which reinforce the impression of the car being sucked into the tarmac. Other S1 identifiers include the bespoke branded brake calipers and trademark Audi S-car aluminium-effect mirror caps. Moving round to the back, you'll spot the dynamic roof spoiler and this purposeful rear diffuser that incorporates no fewer than four oval tail pipes. Plus you get jewel-like rear lamps that emit an intense, deep red colour thanks to no fewer than 54 SuperRed LEDs. There's a choice of either a five-door Sportback body style or a three-door version. With the Sportback, original buyers got the option of a contrasting roof and, more importantly, this body style has a differently-angled C-pillar and a more upright tailgate that together, make a significant difference to rear seat space. In the Sportback version, there's certainly more headroom than you might be expecting: scalloped cut-outs indented into the head lining also play their part in delivering 11mm more cranium space than you'd get in the three-door variant, plus there's 13mm more shoulder room too. With all that said though, we don't want to mislead you. For rear seat occupants, this isn't a spacious cabin. Because there's the same wheelbase whichever A1 shape you choose, you'll find both leg and elbow room restricted and there's the awkwardness of a bulky central transmission tunnel that seems a bit superfluous in a front-wheel drive car. Further bad news comes with Audi's annoying decision not to offer S1 buyers the three-person, three-seat-belted rear bench you can get on all other A1 Sportback models. So this rear section can only take two, a major problem for a family buyer. And up front? Well, it's an Audi isn't it, which inevitably means a look and feel much nicer than you'd find in a rival Ford, Peugeot or Renault. There are a few irritations - enthusiasts will rue the poor placement of brake and throttle pedal for race-style 'heel-and-toe' gearchanges and everyone will question the need for such tiny door pockets. The overall cabin concept doesn't feel quite so far ahead of its rivals either, with trim quality you might even suggest to be slightly lacking in areas like the base of the doors and the handbrake shrouding. It's still a beautifully designed interior though, with a dash section apparently modelled on aircraft wings and large, circular air vents that are finished in high glass black and styled to resemble jet engines. The centre console meanwhile, is supposed to be based on the rear of a sailing ship. It all sounds very daring and avant garde but in reality, the finished result is actually quite conservative. You could be in any of Audi's larger models, with exemplary build quality and a delightful finish to everything you see and touch that's a world away from what you'd find even on a MINI or a cheaper BMW. Take the lovely knurled metal heater controls. Or the neat 6.5-inch retractable MMI infotainment screen - though here it doesn't automatically glide silkily out of the top of the dash as it would on an S3. The question though, with this car's high price tag in mind, is whether it all feels enough of a cut above any ordinary A1 model. The answer is that it depends what you're looking for. You'll certainly search in vain for g-meters, boost gauges, lairy-coloured seatbelts or fake carbon-fibre nonsense. Audi leaves all that sort of thing to cheaper, try-had rivals and instead offers up a package of subtler touches. S1 logos on the floor mats, the door sills, the seats and the infotainment screen. Then there are the aluminium inserts, the LED interior lighting package and the pedal caps fashioned from brushed stainless steel. Oh and a purposeful set of white-needled grey instrument dials viewed through a leather-trimmed three-spoke sports steering wheel with contrast stitching. There's more contrast stitching on the cloth and leather-trimmed seats, though in standard form, these could offer a little more support, one reason why we'd suggest you consider finding an S1 fitted with the optional 'S sports' seats with their integrated head restraints and fine Nappa leather upholstery. These feature much deeper bolsters and grip you a lot better, plus they look fantastic and will probably be a key feature that potential S1 buyers will be looking for when shopping for a used example of this car. And luggage space? Well the bespoke mechanicals needed to engineer in this car's quattro system have certainly slightly compromised things here. Whereas a standard A1 would give you a 270-litre boot, an S1 offers just 210-litres, regardless of the body style you choose. In the compact hot hatch segment, only Fiat's Abarth 595 delivers less and even the basic boot of a MINI Cooper S is 30% bigger. It'll certainly be enough to make some potential buyers wonder whether it might be worth trading up to an Audi S3 model with cargo bay 60% larger. Fold down the split-folding rear bench and this S1 fares a little better. Again, the total capacity falls over that of a standard A1 (down from 920 to 860-litres) but that figure is at least a lot more class competitive, 20% bigger than you'd get in that MINI and not much different from the capacity you'd expect this configuration to provide in a Fiesta or Clio-class car. It all really depends where your priorities lie.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227