Audi A1 interior

Graphically speaking, both the infotainment screen and the Virtual Cockpit are very impressive indeed, operating smoothly and without much in the way of lag. In terms of ergonomics, the touchscreen is simple to interact with when stationary, but the loss of the rotary controller used to operate earlier versions of Audi’s infotainment software means on-the-move adjustments are a bit trickier, because you have to prod a specific point on a touchscreen.

At the foot of the touchscreen sits - praise be - a row of physical dials for the heating and air conditioning. Beneath that are more buttons to change the driving modes and to turn off the traction control. There’s also a rotary knob to adjust the radio volume, and the steering wheel is littered with physical controls. Not only is the A1's reliance on buttons a welcome relief for drivers looking for ease of use, but they are extremely tactile to use and hold, too.

Despite this and the fact that the A1's interior generally looks smart, it fails to truly differentiate itself from its Volkswagen Group siblings and justify its elevated price. That it is around £3000 more expensive than the Ibiza and Skoda Fabia - both of which share engines with the A1 - isn’t easy to overlook.

However, of greater concern is the competition from Mini. It might be around £1000 more expensive, but its upmarket interior is one of a kind to look at and feel - and makes the Audi's look both outdated and cheap.

And while this is only a gripe, we would have expected to see a front armrest/storage cubby included as standard - especially given the cheaper Polo has one.

While you would be able to squeeze two adults into the A1's second row in relative comfort, its typical rear leg room figure of 640mm is some 50mm less than that of the Polo.

The A1’s 335-litre boot is also 20 litres smaller than the Polo’s, according to our measurements, although it does, at least, outdo the Mini’s 210-litre effort by a significant margin.