Audi A1 Sportback unveiled for European market

Audi’s subcompact, the A1, was introduced in 2010 as a two-door model. Now, Audi has just revealed a new addition to the A1 lineup: the A1 Sportback five-door.

Aimed at what Audi calls the youthful and individual crowd, the new five-door A1 Sportback is powered by a choice of six four-cylinder engines: three diesel and three petrol engines. The base engine is a gasoline 1.2L TFSI four-cylinder that produces 86-hp and 118 lb-ft, which the Ingolstadt-make says can achieve up to 46.12 mpg on the US cycle. The other two petrol engines are both in 1.4L TFSI guise and are turbocharged and supercharged. The middle-of-the-range 1.4L produces 122-hp and 148 lb-ft whereas the top-of-the-line 1.4L makes 185-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque.

The three diesels are two 1.6L TDI engines that produce 90-hp and 105-hp while the top-of-the-line 2.0L TDI diesel produces 143-hp. When paired with the A1’s five-speed manual, both of the 1.6L TDIs are estimated to return 61.9 mpg on the US cycle while the 2.0L is estimated to clock in 57.37 mpg.

All of the engines can be mated to a manual or Audi’s seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic automatic.

Prices for the A1 Sportback five-door start at €16,950 for the base 1.2L TFSI model and €19,050 for the base 1.6L TDI. The A1 Sportback five-door will be available throughout Europe at the turn of the 2012 year. Audi also added that the A1 won’t be hitting stateside during this generation.

– By: Chris Chin