The Audi A1 Range Just Got Fizzier With Some New Three-Pot Engines

The Audi A1 range has just been facelifted. No, really, it has. Continuing the trend of hilariously subtle facelifts the automotive industry has seen recently (just check out Porsche’s recent effort with the Cayenne) is the newly refreshed baby Audi, which on the outside, doesn’t consist of much more than a new set of headlights and some minor tweaks to the front bumper. (It’s the one on the left, by the way.) Fortunately, what’s going on underneath is much more interesting.

The big news is the inclusion of the VW Group’s 1.0-litre three-pot engine, which will power the base model. In the A1, it produces 95bhp and returns 65.7mpg. Want more poke? A 1.4-litre TFSI is available with either 123bhp or 148bhp. The latter comes with cylinder on demand technology and will actually be the most powerful A1 you can buy without shelling out for the S1, as the old 1.4-litre 185 is being canned. When we spoke to Audi it confirmed that the 189bhp 1.8-litre (also seen in the new VW Polo GTI) - which is heading to some markets - won’t be coming to the UK.

Should you prefer an oil burner, there’s a 114bhp 1.6-litre diesel, which comes with a whopping combined MPG figure of 80.7mpg. Not bad.

It should be better to drive, too, with changes to the power steering and a new adjustable damper option on Sport and S Line models.

With prices starting at £14,315 for the base three-cylinder model, going up to £26,110 for the S1 Sportback, the A1 still ain’t cheap, although equipment levels have been increased across the board.

The refreshed range will go on sale later this month, with first deliveries taking place in spring next year.