• Three engines, all petrol
• Likeable entry-level 1.0-litre
• No hybrid or diesel options

Petrol engines

There’s a choice of three turbocharged petrol engines available in the Audi A1 – there are no diesel, hybrid or electric versions. The range starts with a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder unit badged 25 TFSI that produces 95hp and 175Nm of torque. It comes with a five-speed manual gearbox or optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. It’s hardly a rocket ship, 0-62mph taking 11 seconds or so. But it’s actually a rather sweet, smooth engine.

Next up is a more powerful version of the 1.0-litre engine, the 30 TFSI. Its vital statistics are 116hp and 200Nm, and 0-62mph in a smidge under 10 seconds with either with the standard six-speed manual or optional auto ‘box.

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The range is topped by the 35 TFSI, which uses a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine, producing 150hp and 250Nm. An automatic gearbox is fitted as standard. 0-62mph is dealt with in eight seconds. It’s this engine that was fitted to Tom Goodlad’s long-term A1 test car. He said: ‘It’s one of the better applications of the VW Group 1.5-litre unit, providing smooth and largely unhurried performance most of the time.

“Let the gearbox do its own thing and it gets up to speed with no fuss and very little noise. I’ve got no complaints about the way it performs.’

What’s it like to drive?

• Pleasant to drive but not exciting
• 30 TFSI nimble and easy to drive
• Other small cars are more engaging

The Audi A1 driving experience is geared towards refinement rather than sharp handling. It feels really rather grown up and, consequently, it’s not particularly engaging. Sure, there’s agility in the chassis and composed body control. The steering gives a pretty good sense of how much grip the front tyres have and the brakes are strong, as well.

But you feel rather isolated from what’s going on. By contrast, the MINI is a bundle of energy and engagement – it’s much more fun.

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We think the A1 comes into its own on motorways. There’s a bit too much tyre and road noise – especially with bigger wheels – but it feels reassuringly solid, and the engines are quiet. If you have a lot of long journeys to do, this is one of the best superminis to have – on 16-inch wheels.