Audi has come up with a crossover version of the A1 Sportback. Engines and full specs are not yet confirmed, but Audi is happy to say this new car is around 10mm longer and fully 40mm higher off the deck than a regular A1, thanks to chunky exterior body styling in the former instance and a 35mm suspension hike/bigger alloy wheels (from 16 inches) as standard in the latter. You'll note things like a Q-SUV-esque honeycomb Singleframe grille (which only has two slots above it, instead of three), beefy side sills, a redesigned rear bumper and black plastic cladding. Inside, lots of tech means this crossover will get a digital cluster as standard, with full Virtual Cockpit and MMI Navigation Plus available on the options list. Orders open in August with cars hitting European dealerships later this year; as more details become available, we'll let you know them. Oh, and the jacked-up A1's name? Nope, it's not anything outdoorsy or hinting at adventure - instead, Audi has called it the A1 Citycarver. Hmm. We're not sure why Audi didn't just call it an allroad and be done with, but as the company says the Citycarver is 'at home in any environment - in the city, on country roads and highways, and even on slightly rough terrain', and as the A1 platform doesn't support quattro, then we'd suspect that it's not going to be able to, if you will, climb any mountain and ford every stream.
Matt Robinson - 29 Jul 2019