Audi A1 gets new 140bhp TDI engine and sultry colour schemes

Audi’s Mini-menacing A1 gets extra attraction in the shape of more potent diesel power and top-end dress-up touches; packaged as the Black Edition and the Contrast Edition. But, before we look at the bigger wheels, sharper spoilers and blacked-out bits ‘n’ bobs, let’s have a look at bigger, new TDI powerhouse.

Now you can buy some pretty serious – especially in such a small and nimble car – hauling kit for your new A1 with a 2-litre, turbo-diesel motor making 140bhp available for the first time. This new engine, topping off the existing 1.6-litre, 103bhp TDI unit, is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and thanks to a maximum torque output of 320Nm – made between 1750 and 2500 rpm – means the chunky new TDI can hit 62mph in 8.2secs, topping out at 135mph.

Decent performance then from this latest common-rail fuel injection TDI addition, but it’s available only in the Sport, S line, and new Contrast Edition and Black Editions, priced from £17,945 OTR. Eco-performance is assisted by the A1’s smaller stature, coming in at a combined 68.9mpg and 108g/km of CO2. With these figures, the new TDI sits in VED band B at £20 per year.

Onto the new colour and style schemes, and first up we have the Contrast Edition - priced at £1,350 on top of an equivalent A1 Sport model, and available with all engines in the range, except the most powerful, 1.4 TFSI 185PS (182bhp). 

The Contrast Edition, as the name suggests and seen here in red, sports a contrasting colour for the roof line and for the aerodynamic body styling elements that are added on top of those of the Sport specification. The 5-spoke alloy wheels we see here are that all-important inch bigger than the 16 inchers as seen on the Sport, and feature a twin-colour highlight. A double-blade roof spoiler, also contrasting, can be added at extra cost.

The Black Edition, seen here in black, is based on the top of the range S line specification, and can be had only with that 1.4-litre TFSI 185PS petrol engine, and the aforementioned new 2.0-litre TDI. 

For an extra £1,100 over the S line model price, Black adds a black styling treatment for the single frame grille surround and number plate holder, dark tinted rear privacy glass, 18-inch 5-spoke “rotor design” alloy wheels finished in titanium colour, upgrading an inch again over the the S line’s 17s. 

The Black Edition also enjoys Xenon Plus headlights with LED daytime-running lights, electronic climate control – over S line’s manual A/C - and a window-wobbling, 180watt Audi Sound System speaker upgrade. 

Other engines in the Audi A1 range include the 99g/km 1.6 TDI for zero VED and London congestion charge, as well as turbocharged, direct injection petrol engines to the tune of 84bhp (1.2-litre TFSI) and 120bhp (1.4-litre TFSI). The range-topping, 182bhp 1.4-litre TFSI greedily uses supercharging and turbocharging to make it’s punchy power, with the supercharging coming in early for near-instant grunt, while the turbo chirps in nearer the top of the rev-range to finish the sprint off the with a whoosh. 

The new A1 styling editions and new 2-litre TDI engines are available to order now. 

www.audi.co.uk



The range-topping Audi A1 Black Edition gets the fastest petrol and diesel engines, all the interior goodies, and a bad attitude


By Daniel Anslow

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