3 September 2014
Baby S
Audi S1. Does the name sound familiar? If not, perhaps the mention of Stig Blomqvist, Hannu Mikkola and Walter Rohl might jog your memory. Back in the ‘80s, the Audi Sport quattro S1 was the short wheelbase final evolution version of the original world-conquering Audi quattro – the All-Wheel-Drive spiritual ancestor to much of today’s four ring product.
Well, that was then and this is now, and while the new 2014 Audi S1 might not quite match the heady Pikes Peak heights of Rohl’s 600hp 1987 victorious machine, as a turn-key pocket rocket that you can drive off the Audi dealer’s lot for a hundred bucks shy of $60k, it’ll provide just as much excitement to those of us not quite as gifted as the afore-mentioned rally driving geniuses (or is that genii?).
Based on the utterly likeable little 5 door Audi A1 Sportback, the S1 quattro pumps out 170kW of power and 370Nm of torque from the turbocharged 2.0 litre powerplant robbed from the Volkswagen Golf GTI parts bin. It drives all four wheels through a slick six speed manual ‘box, with no automatic option, due to the fact that there’s not enough space for the S Tronic auto within the tight confines of the little car’s engine room.
With fuel economy claimed to be 7.3l/100km, exceeding Euro 6 emission requirements and a 0 to 100km/h time of 5.9 seconds, the S1 is no slouch while being easy on the environment and relatively frugal, given the amount of get up and go.
The total package
There are many good hot hatches on the market, but few that hit this many sweet spots in one package. Not only is acceleration in grin factor territory, but it stops in a pretty impressive manner too, thanks to 16 inch brakes up front and 15 inch at the back.
The taut chassis and quattro AWD setup, coupled with compact proportions and nicely weighted electro-mechanical steering translate into a sure footed, agile little gem that handles the twisty stuff better than just about anything. There’s also a good wallop of torque from just 1,600rpm, meaning that an incorrect gear selection out of a tight corner is completely forgiven.
Not only that, but it’s no untamed wild animal either, and can be a perfectly docile shopping basket for the daily commute.
Rolling on attractive 18 inch alloys, standard features include Audi Drive Select dynamic handling system which allows the driver to select a variety of features including throttle response and damper settings.
Other standard gear includes xenon headlights, LED rear lights, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, rear parking aid and an audio system with SD card reader and up to 32GB storage. Safety features aplenty, include all the expected array of airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchorages and numerous electronic active safety aids such as ABS, EBD, ESC, EDL (Electronic Differential Lock), Hill Hold Assist etc.
For those buyers wanting to up-spec their S1, a number of add-ons and packages are available. A $3,500 Technology Package includes MMI Navigation Plus and Parking Aid Plus (front and rear). A quattro exterior package gives you red trimmed headlights, red brake callipers, an aluminium front lip, rear spoiler and quattro decals. It’s also priced at $3,500, but only comes with a $1,500 upgraded alloy wheel set, so it’s really a $5,000 package.
And for $4,500, an interior quattro package includes Nappa leather sport seats, Nappa leather door armrests, various colour coded high gloss interior enhancements and black air vents with red trim.
Kiwis number 1
Audi New Zealand boss Dean Sheed says that Kiwi buyers choose Audi’s S and RS models in greater ratios than anywhere else in the world, with close to 30% of his customers opting for the go-fast models. He says that not only does New Zealand outstrip the rest of the world percentagewise in S and RS models, but Kiwis actually purchase more RS6s by volume than their Australian counterparts.
Dean Sheed predicts sales of 25 to 30 S1’s this year, adding strength to the already popular A1 range which, at around 300 units for 2014, accounts for approximately 15% of Audi sales volume. With many buyers downsizing their cars, the S1 offers a lot of bang for buck, the only potential downside being that it’s limited to four seats and it’s only available in manual. But that’s just the way many hot hatch enthusiasts like it.