2010 was a brilliant year for Audi
Following on from the economic difficulties of 2009 many critics were expecting difficult years for the majority of manufacturers.
However Audi managed to escape from the mire; experiencing its best ever sales year to date and producing more cars than ever as a result.
The German manufacturer built 1,148,791 cars in 2010 – a 23.4 per cent improvement on 2009 volumes and Audi credited its new models for that achievement.
One of the new crop is the Audi A1 sub-compact hatchback – the first premium compact car on the market.
Despite having been on the market for just a couple of months, the A1 has been widely well received – selling out of its 2010 production run even before it had been released – and has also been the subject of critical acclaim, scooping one of the most prestigious motor awards in the UK when it was voted as the What Car? Car of the Year in January.
Editor-in-chief at What Car?, Steve Fowler said: “If ever there has been a car that has hit the nail squarely and firmly on the head, the Audi A1 is it. It’s the right car at the right time: a car that combines desirability and ability alongside frugal financials – the perfect combination.”
Audi hasn’t rested on its laurels however and especially not with the A1 as it looks to expand the current range for the premium compact hatchback.
Order books have recently opened for the most powerful engine set-up in the A1 range with a new 185PS 1.4-litre TFSI dual-charged unit added to the line-up.
Utilising a superchargher at low-end revs and then a turbocharger at high-end revs, the new A1 derivative is capable of clearing 0-62mph in just 6.9 seconds with a top-speed of 141mph.
The new engine expands the current range to four as it joins the 1.2-, 1.4- and 1.6-litre TFSI options and like its smaller siblings it too delivers minimal CO2 emissions and excellent fuel consumption figures that are the best yet for the A1 at 139g/km of CO2 and 47.9mpg.
Audi is also testing an A1 quattro at the moment in Canada.
Whilst the initial trial has been commissioned as a birthday celebration of the Quattro all-wheel drive system – currently in its 30th year – the results of the trial could result in a Quattro enabled A1 in the near future.
About the Author:
Ant Bradshaw currently writes for Askaprice.com writing up-to-date news, reviews and features of what’s going on in the car-world.
