2010 Audi A1 Preview

The minicar segment is about to explode, with new models planned from most of the major carmakers including, for the first time, premium labels such as Audi, which is planning to launch the new A1 hatch in 2009. A concept version of the car will be displayed at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show complete with a hybrid drivetrain. These new renderings give us an accurate look at what to expect, revealing designers are going with conventional hatchback styling and Audi’s familiar oversized grille.

The A1 won’t be a niche model. Audi management is hoping to sell more than 100,000 units per year and will likely add a ’shooting brake’ mini-estate and cabrio to its lineup. Audi is also rumored to be working on a mini SUV labeled the Q1, which you can see a preview of by clicking here. In addition to the mild hybrid version, Audi will also build cars equipped with more conventional TSI and FSI petrol engines as well as its frugal TDI diesels displacing 1.4 and 1.6L.

The car will be built on a new platform that will also spawn the next-gen VW Polo as well as allow engineers to add quattro AWD for a low-volume performance model. The new platform also means engineers may add a new low cost dual-clutch transmission with seven gears in total. Unlike the production version of the VW up! concept, the Audi A1 won’t be cheap and is expected to have a price tag of around €20,000. By contrast, VW’s minicar is expected to cost close to €8,000.

Source: motorauthority

Audi A1: First official sketches popped up

UK's Car Magazine is claiming to have some official sketches of the Audi A1. Is it just us or do they show some similarities in design from our yesterday's post about the Audi Max4 Concept? Have a look and judge by yourself.

"We always knew that CAR's Georg Kacher is one of the best connected motoring journalists in the world. But even we were surprised when he rang the office with news that he'd 'obtained' official design sketches of Audi's new Mini, the A1. Forget the artist's impressions you'll find elsewhere, CAR Online has three sketches smuggled out of Ingolstadt's design HQ that show exactly how Audi's baby will look.

Audi plans four different A1 versions: a chunky three-door hatch (revealed here in our exclusive sketches), a roomier five-door hatch, a two-door coupe and an open-top model. Will it be a four-seater cabriolet or a two-seater roadster? We don't know yet. It may be something else altogether, like an evolution of the interesting A2 Open Air concept we saw at the 1999 Frankfurt show."

Source: germancarblog

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