With quattro four-wheel drive and a powerful petrol engine the ‘S1’ is Audi’s top of the range ‘A1’ city car.
Under the tiny bonnet sits a potent 231hp, 2-litre TFSI petrol engine with 370nm of torque. To put those numbers in perspective - half this power would be a lot of fun in a city car! When you harness the horses, S1 can deliver a 0-100kph sprint in just 5.8 seconds and race up to a top speed of 250kph. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard as is ‘Audi drive select’ (Auto, Efficiency or Dynamic). Drive select allows you, at the press of a button, choose how the engine performs. You can try to maximise economy or live a little maximise performance potential.
To help get S1’s relatively huge power to the surface of the road in such a small car there is Audi ‘S-Sport’ suspension and of course quattro four-wheel drive traction. Lots of power delivered to a short wheelbase machine is a recipe for fun these days as most electronic driving aids like ESP/ESC and traction control are fitted as standard. This was not always the case as only a few years ago you’d be lucky to get anti-lock brakes (ABS) so the combination of pint-sized car with gallon-sized engine would easily swop ends with little notice and was a guaranteed way to catch out the inexperienced driver!
Outside S1 features some great performance design cues. The four exhaust pipes hint that you won’t receive a Christmas card from Greenpeace but the diffuser and huge roof spoiler (as apt of a €1,995 quattro exterior styling pack) show the attention given to aerodynamic downforce. 17-inch alloys are standard but our test car had beautiful 18-inch wheels (as part of the styling pack) to put the finishing touch to what is a truly well executed hot hatchback. LED tail lights and daytime running lights feature and the headlights are Xenon plus.
Inside there is seating for four - at a squeeze. 3 and 5-door versions are available with the 5-door Sportback the better option if you have to carry passnegers but note there is still only four seat belts in the Sportback. Up front Audi’s dna is present and the cockpit feels instantly a familiar place to be. There is an optional S1 interior styling package (€2,795) that allows more customisation but really S1 is the range topper, so it should have everything as standard!
On smooth, dry, surfaces the S1 is great fun and really rewarding to drive. On lumpy ‘B’ roads (especially when wet) the S1 can be challenging but if you’re up to it - even more fun! If you’re not overly talented behind the wheel a word of caution, the S1 can shift about a bit underneath your backside on poor roads and you will need to be extra attentive to make swift progress.
S1 prices start at €36,370 (€37,020 OTR) for the 3-door. Our Sportback test car is only a little dearer at €36,970 (€37,620 OTR). S1 sits in tax band D (€570 road tax) and Audi quotes an average fuel consumption of 7.0l/100km (40mpg).
The first highly collectable 2012 S1 was only made in LHD and was sold in tiny numbers. The 2nd generation S1 has been built for the masses but sadly its costs a lot and for a lot less cash you can get a Fiesta ST or for similar money a larger Golf GTi or Leon Cupra.
S1 is pint-sized fun - what’s not to love!
Michael Sheridan
