More practical Audi A1 reaches SA

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The A1 Sportback has two extra doors, more headroom and a R7500 price premium.

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• Images of the Audi A1 Sportback       

So you fancy the Audi A1 but it's not practical enough for your small family? Not to worry, Audi has just launched the five-door Sportback version in South Africa - which is much the same car, just with two extra doors. It's also offered in a wide range that mirrors that of the three-door, just with a R7500 premium.

The 3-door was expensive to start with, so you're not getting much practicality for the money here, but if you want that shiny four-ringed badge and the interior quality that goes with it then it's time to make pals with the bank manager.

DESIGN

At 3.95 metres, it's the same length as the three-door and it doesn't appear to have lost much in the way of style thanks to a steeply-sloped C-pillar. Despite this, the roof design still allows 11mm more rear headroom.

As with its less practical counterpart, buyers can also customise their Sportback, with contrasting roof colours (R4900), sticker sets and various body kits.

It's also a familiar experience in the cabin and once again, buyers can break the bank with plenty of fancy gadgetry, including MMI navigation plus (R27 400), 14-speaker Bose surround sound system (R8900), keyless entry and start (R5400), Milano leather trim (R14 000), panoramic glass sunroof (R10 200) and we're only getting warmed up here.

Wide range of turbocharged engines offer between 63kW and 136kW.

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TURBO POWER

The wide range of turbocharged engines kicks off with a 63kW/160Nm 1.2 TFSI petrol motor, said to get to 100km/h in just 11.9 seconds and consume 5.1 l/100km on the combined cycle.

Yet if you've got even an ounce of lead in your right foot, the entry engine is Audi's 90kW/200Nm 1.4 TFSI, which is also available in twin-charged 136kW/250Nm guise. Audi claims acceleration figures of 9.0 seconds for the 90kW and 7.0 secs for the 136kW with respective consumption figures of 5.4 and 5.9 l/100km.

More frugal than any of these, however, is the 77kW/250Nm 1.6 TDI turbodiesel with its claimed fuel sipping figure of 3.8 l/100km.

THE RANGE

1.2T FSI Attraction manual (63kW) - R227 400

1.4T FSI Attraction manual (90kW) - R242 500

1.4T FSI Attraction S tronic (90kW) - R260 000

1.4T FSI Ambition manual (90kW) - R260 500

1.4T FSI Ambition S tronic (90kW) - R278 000

1.4T FSI S line S tronic (136kW) - R319 500

1.6 TDI Ambition manual (77kW) - R254 500