New Audi A1 details revealed

Audi will be pegging prices of the A1 close to the Mini, an inside source has revealed.

The upmarket supermini, due to go on sale at the end of 2010, is likely to start at around £13,000 for the base three-door model, although the bulk of the range will retail between £15,000 to £20,000.

Audi A1 Sportback and Audi Metro Project quattro pics

The new A1 is set to share a lot of mechanicals with the recently launched VW Polo. Exact details are scarce, but it’s likely to be powered by a range of existing VW group engines and some newly developed motors.

The petrol model range begins with a turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine in two states of tune - 84bhp and 104bhp. Further up there will be a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol with 120bhp and a high-performance, supercharged and turbocharged version of the same unit that puts out 168bhp.

Diesel engines are likely to be a 1.6-litre common-rail injection unit in three states of tune: 75bhp, 90bhp and 105bhp.

Audi sources say that the company is keen to offer A1 buyers a similar ownership experience to that of the Mini. That’s likely to include a wide range of options to personalise your car and the company is planning a all-in service package, designed to give a fixed ownership cost over three or five years.

Chas Hallett

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