(continued from the previous page)
Interior Design
Cool, sporty black dominates the interior of the Audi A1 quattro. The seats and
the armrests on the doors are covered in Silk Nappa leather with contrasting red
seams. The S sport seats up front have pronounced bolsters, integrated head
restraints and a quattro badge on the backrest covers. The seats feature
multi-way adjustment. The lower section of the center console shines in
high-gloss black; the footrest and the pedal caps are made of brushed stainless
steel. Red seams frame the floor mats, and the door sill trims bear A1 quattro
badges.
The instrument cluster has a number of eye-catching features, including white
needles, a red tachometer, the quattro logo and the color display for the driver
information system. The multifunction sport steering wheel is flattened at the
bottom, wrapped in leather with contrasting red stitching and sports the car's
serial number. The shift lever knob is made of aluminum. Many control elements
have an aluminum-look finish.
Luggage capacity is 7.42 cu ft (210 liters); folding down the rear seats
increases this to 30.37 cu ft (860 liters).
Multi-Plate Transmission
The 2.0 TFSI delivers its power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system
via a precisely shifting six-speed transmission, bringing Vorsprung durch
Technik to the small-car class. The heart of this system is an electronically
controlled, hydraulically actuated multi-plate clutch whose package of plates
rotates in an oil bath.
During normal driving, the clutch sends most of the engine's power to the front
wheels. If traction decreases there, the clutch can transfer torque steplessly
to the rear axle in just a few milliseconds by forcing the packages of plates
together by a defined amount. A pressure reservoir helps the electric pump to
develop the oil pressure. If a wheel on one of the axles should slip, it is
braked by the electronic differential lock (EDL).
The placement of the multi-plate clutch at the rear axle provides for a
harmonious distribution of the axle loads, and the chassis of the Audi A1
quattro has been adapted to the dynamics of the drivetrain. It is much more
tautly tuned than that of the production model. The front suspension is a
McPherson construction; a four-link axle is used at the rear. The sensitive and
efficient electrohydraulic power steering has a sporty, direct 14.8:1 steering
ratio.
18-Inch Wheels
The Audi A1 quattro rolls on 8.0 J x 18 cast alloy wheels. They are Glacier
White, feature an exclusive turbine design and are fitted with 225/35-series
tires. The internally vented front brake discs measure 312 millimeters (12.28
in) in diameter and are gripped by black calipers. The ESP stabilization program
includes a sport mode and can be switched off entirely for a trip to the race
track, for example.
Available in 2012
The Audi A1 quattro will be available from the second half of 2012 and will be
supplied to customers with a full range of equipment. It includes many features
taken directly from the luxury class, including xenon plus headlights, high-beam
assistant, adaptive brake lights, LED interior lighting package, light and rain
sensor, automatically dimming interior mirror, rear parking system, automatic
air conditioning, alarm system, storage package, convenience key and cruise
control.
The infotainment equipment likewise leaves nothing to be desired. It includes a
CD changer, a digital radio tuner, the Audi music interface and MMI navigation
plus. The Bose sound system drives 14 speakers with 465 watts of power; the
woofers in the doors are indirectly lit with light guide LEDs. Audi connect uses
the Bluetooth online car phone to connect to the Internet and deliver special
web services, including Google Earth, to the car. Passengers can also connect
their mobile devices to the integrated WLAN hotspot.
Audi A1 quattro: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications