Now that the new Audi A1 hatchback is revealed we don’t have to watch those stupid teaser videos anymore and instead we get this driving footage which shows the car in full without disguise! As you know, the A1 is supposed to the German MINI, and they have invested heavily into it to accomplish that goal. They’ve even paid a bucket load of money to Justin Timberlake to come to Geneva and personally unveil the car next week! We’ll see what the car’s really made of when it goes on sale later this year.
Hit the jump to watch the video…
With its agile handling and direct steering, the new Audi A1 is just a lot of fun. Dr. Horst Glaser, Head of Chassis Development at AUDI AG, tested the A1 together with DTM pilot Markus Winkelhock. The verdict was as follows:The new Audi A1 offers a very sophisticated chassis, balanced weight distribution and a low center of gravity. “That is a guarantee for maximum driving enjoyment,” says Horst Glaser, Head of Chassis Development at AUDI AG. Because it connects the driver to the road, the steering is one of the most important components of a sporty car. The A1 therefore comes standard with electrohydraulic power steering that has a very direct 14.8:1 steering ratio and is also more efficient than a purely hydraulic
system.Another factor for the agile and safe handling of the A1 is the perfect tuning of the front axle bearings, the stabilizer bars, the springs and the dampers. The rear axle features a torsion-beam suspension with the springs and dampers separated. “The
car is very well sprung. It swallows up bumps of almost any size without any amplification of the motions,” says DTM pilot Markus Winkelhock when describing his impressions.One new Audi technology is on board every version of the A1 – the ESP stabilization system with an innovative electronic axle differential lock. The brakes are applied slightly to the inside wheel in a curve, allowing more torque to be transferred to the
wheel on the outside of the curve. The vehicle is very agile and the handling remains neutral even longer.“After driving the Audi A1 for the first time, my opinion is clear: It’s the benchmark in the small compact class,” says Winkelhock.
