OK, so the Audi A1 was leaked on the interweb before the official press release, but out of respect, we decided not go for clickbait headlines. We had to take the dog for a walk because he is employed to physically click on Daily Car Blog all day 7 days per week, to artificially boost our numbers because unlike most other websites we can not afford the outlay on real click-bots… The Audi A1.

The all new Audi A1 is finally here and it’s all growed up, sitting on an all-new platform shared by ‘The Family’ which is the Seat Ibiza and VW Polo. And that means it’s slightly longer and wider than the previous generation it replaces, by a few centimeters either way. A few centimeters bigger, either way, doesn’t sound like much but in car-world it can mean a big difference between sitting comfortably or crouching or stuffing an extra shopping bag into the boot. The engine range will be familiar, three from launch and all will be gas-powered or as it is properly known, petrol powered. No diesel engines will be offered. So expect to see the 1.0-litre TFSi 3-cylinder available in two power derivatives, 94bhp or 114bhp, a 1.5-litre 148bhp lump with fuel-sipping cylinder de-activation that can now shut off all four -cylinders during coasting, and the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder with a much more reassuring 197bhp. Audi will offer most models with a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual clutch transmission, only the 2.0-litre TFSi will get the 7-speed dual-clutch. What Audi does better than any other car maker is the interior and the new A1 borrows elements of Audi’s new interior design language first enabled by the A8. If the old A1 didn’t offer high enough quality for you, which it did, the new A1 offers even better quality. The analog instrument binnacle is no more, Audi has gone for a fully native, digital, high-resolution 10.25-inch display as standard. The Virtual cockpit, which includes more software features such as integrated Navigation menus maps and snazzier graphics, is optional.   If the bog standard Audi sound system is lacking then Audi offers an optional Bang & Olufsen 8 or 11 speaker sound system. But the new Audi A1 isn’t just about the sharper new lines or the quality interior full of the latest active and passive safety technologies, it’s the handling that will ultimately be judged against all others. Even the little A1 will get three different suspension setups, standard springs, sports-suspension and sports suspension plus which includes adaptive suspension. The new Audi A1 will be available to order in the UK from September with first deliveries expected by November. Prices for entry-level models are expected to retail from under £20k.