Audi presented its most progressive compact model: The Audi A1 citycarver with its body raised by a good four centimeters (1.6 in) and its robust look is the powerful big brother of the A1 Sportback. With fresh colors, many customization options and top-of-the-line networking, the A1 citycarver presents itself as the Audi for young urban drivers.
Five centimeters (2.0 in) higher: concept and exterior design
With a length of 4046 millimeters (159.3 in) and a width of 1,756 millimeters (69.1 in), the Audi A1 citycarver has almost the same dimensions as the A1 Sportback. However, it is five centimeters (2.0 in) taller than the Sportback, measuring 1,459 millimeters (57.4 in) in height, which makes it easier to get in and provides an even better overview. Roughly 35 millimeters (1.4 in) of its increase in height are due to the revised suspension, which has a larger jounce travel. The rest is due to the fact that its wheels are larger than those of the A1 Sportback. 16-inch wheels come as standard even with the entry-level engine variant. This gives the A1 citycarver 144 millimeters (5.7 in) of ground clearance between the axles- 41 millimeters (1.6 in) more than the A1 Sportback.
The A1 citycarver also shares the taut exterior design with the broad track and short overhangs with its sister model. The powerful, slightly slanting C-pillar appears to accelerate the car even at a standstill and all the lines on the sides rise in a wedge shape toward the rear. The shoulder line creates strong contours above the wheels and continues at a slightly lower level on the doors, visually drawing down the center of gravity. At the front and the strongly modeled rear, the arrow-shaped layout of the light graphics (with the optional LED headlights) emphasizes the width of the body. Large air inlets and outlets underline the vehicle’s sporty character.
The large, octagonal Singleframe is reminiscent of the Audi Q models. It gets by without a frame, and its intensely sculpted honeycomb is painted in matt black. There are two distinctive slots above the grille-a small nod to the Sport quattro, a true Audi icon. The underbody protection at the front and the diffuser insert at the rear are painted with glossy stainless steel paint, the wheel arches and distinctive side sills sport attachments in Manhattan gray or Mythos black. A large S line roof edge spoiler extends the roof line, and the rear bumpers take up the powerful look of the front apron.
Individual look: paint colors and packages
The paint fan for the Audi A1 citycarver offers a choice of nine colors: Cortina white, Firmament blue, Glacier white, Misano red, Mythos black, Arrow gray, Pulse orange, Python yellow and Tioman green. On request, Audi will paint the roof, from the A-pillar to the roof edge spoiler, in the contrasting colors Mythos black or Manhattan gray. The exterior mirror housings and the side sills are available in the same contrasting colors as part of equipment packages. In the black styling package, a further optional equipment item, the frames of the lateral air inlets, the underbody protection and the diffuser insert are painted in a deep black.
Light and stiff: the body
The Audi A1 citycarver with the entry-level engine variant weighs just 1,130 kilograms (2,491.2 lb) (excluding the driver). Large parts made of hot-formed steel form the backbone of the passenger cell. This ultra-high-strength composite, which comprises 27 percent of the bodyin- white, provides for a high level of passive safety and torsional rigidity. It thereby lays the foundation for the sporty handling precision, the uncompromising manufacturing quality and the absence of interfering noise on board.
Plenty of room for five: passenger compartment space
Thanks to the long wheelbase of 2,566 millimeters (101.0 in), even the rear passengers can enjoy plenty of space. The luggage compartment normally provides a capacity of 335 liters (11.8 cu ft), which increases to 1,090 liters (38.5 cu ft) (roof high) by folding down the rear seat backs with a split ratio of 60:40. The loading sill is at a height of just 67 centimeters (26.4 in). Upon request, Audi can deliver a luggage compartment package with a net and variable loading floor, as well as a storage package.
Sporty and taut: the interior design
The exterior design of the Audi A1 citycarver is continued in the interior, with clear lines, taut surfaces and a high-quality finish. In the style of a racing car, the cockpit is literally built around the driver. The center console is tilted toward the driver, and the digital instrument cluster (standard) and its cover form a unit with the air vents. The MMI display (optional) and the air vent strip on the front passenger side are positioned on a surface with a black glass look, which extends all the way to the doors.
The brand’s most progressive compact model is geared toward young customers, to whom individuality in the interior is very important. The four available equipment variants-basic, advanced, design selection and S line-offer a wide selection of colors and materials. The accent surfaces on the air vents, the center tunnel console and the door handle recesses are painted in mint, silver-gray, orange, copper, or structured gray (for the S line only), while the application surface on the instrument panel is available in black or one of four shades of gray.
The concept of fresh colors also includes the seat upholstery. The advanced line comes with mint or orange and contrasting stitching, depending on the upholstery. The design selection, which comes with leather/synthetic leather upholstery as an option, offers blue gray/copper with copper contrasting stitching, for example. The interior of the S line is held completely in a sporty black and the upholstery is available in fabric/synthetic leather or Alcantara/synthetic leather with fine silver contrasting stitching upon request. It comes with sport seats as standard.
The two top lines offer further equipment features. The design selection includes a leather steering wheel with multifunction, as well as synthetic leather covers for the handbrake grip and front door armrests in synthetic leather with contrasting stitching. It also integrates the contour/ambient lighting package, which illuminates the interior in 30 selectable colors when it is dark-with hard light on the edges and soft light on the surfaces. In the S line, the pedals and footrests are made of stainless steel, and the door sill trims are made of aluminum. The grips on the steering wheel and the knob of the shift or selector levers are covered with perforated leather.
All other standard and special equipment variants of the Audi A1 citycarver-from the steering wheels and climate control system to the LED headlights with dynamic rear turn signal lights- are based on the A1 Sportback.
The fully digital instrument cluster as standard
The Audi A1 citycarver has already arrived in the connected world of the future. It is already fitted as standard with a fully digital instrument cluster with a 10.25-inch diagonal that is operated via the multifunction steering wheel. The Audi virtual cockpit, which provides many additional functions, is available upon request in the same format. It offers a sport screen in addition to the classic view and the size of the area between the dial-type gage that displays the MMI content can be increased.
Modular: the infotainment
The infotainment module in the A1 citycarver starts with the standard MMI radio. At the first expansion stage is its plus version that is operated via an 8.8-inch MMI touch display. The second expansion stage is the preparation for MMI navigation plus, which already includes the high-resolution 10.1-inch display. If the customer desires, the Audi service partner can activate the navigation and the Audi connect services at a later time.
Alternatively, MMI navigation plus can also be ordered as a complete module that offers the same functions as in the large Audi models. The system recognizes the driver’s preferred destinations based on previous journeys, allowing it to generate suitable suggestions. Route computation runs not only on board but also in the cloud via map service provider HERE, which uses traffic information from the entire region. Up to four free map updates are available for download per year.
The flat menu structure makes the operation of the MMI navigation plus easy to understand. When the driver enters a term in the MMI search, the hit often appears after just a few characters have been input. Alternatively, drivers can use natural language control; it understands many terms and phrases used in everyday language and its online function (in the Audi connect standard package) can also access the knowledge of the cloud.
Information from the cloud: the online services of Audi connect
MMI navigation plus is also joined by the Audi connect navigation & infotainment services onboard the A1 citycarver. The hybrid radio switches automatically between FM, DAB and online streams to find the best reception. Amazon’s voice service Alexa offers top information and entertainment and also takes orders. The downtown areas of many cities are stored as 3D models in the navigation and the map is supplied by Google Earth on request.
The optional Audi connect navigation & infotainment plus package bundles further services. One of them is the Wi-Fi hotspot for the passengers’ mobile devices. Traffic information online displays possible holdups. The Car-to-X services make use of the swarm intelligence of the Audi fleet when it comes to finding roadside parking spots, detecting dangerous areas and speed limits. Traffic light information is a new feature among the Car-to-X services. The car receives data from a city’s traffic computer, as a result of which the driver receives information about traffic light phases in the optional Audi virtual cockpit. This allows drivers to adjust their speed preemptively, which increases efficiency and improves traffic flow. This offering is initially available in select European cities and will be extended gradually depending on the infrastructure in the urban area.
The free myAudi app connects the smartphone with the car. If the customer has ordered the connect services, they can use the app to transfer navigation routes, special destinations and their personal calendar to the MMI, stream music, or operate the central locking remotely. The last function is part of the Audi connect remote & control package.
The hardware of the A1 citycarver also offers a broad range of networking options. The Audi smartphone interface embeds iOS and Android smartphones in their native environments Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It provides two USB ports, one of which uses the new USB-C standard. The Audi phone box charges the smartphone inductively and connects it to the vehicle’s antenna.
Hi-fi fans can enjoy the Bang & Olufsen premium sound system with 3D sound, which creates a virtual spacial sound with an amplifier output of 560 watts and 11 loudspeakers. It uses the windshield as a reflection surface for the four loudspeakers in the instrument panel.
Safety and comfort: the driver assistance systems
The Audi A1 citycarver is also at the cutting edge in terms of its driver assist systems. The standard lane departure warning helps the driver to keep the car in the lane by means of vibrations and corrective steering interventions. The safety system Audi pre sense front is also part of the standard equipment. Its mid-range radar sensor, which measures toward the front, detects critical situations with other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists even in poor visibility conditions and warns the driver with a graded concept that ranges all the way to automatic braking. In the event that a collision cannot be prevented, the optional Audi pre sense basic system triggers passive protective measures: The front seat belts are tensioned, the windows are closed, and the hazard warning lights are activated.
The adaptive cruise control also uses the radar sensor to keep the Audi A1 citycarver at the distance to the vehicle in front selected by the driver. In cooperation with the manual transmission, the system operates in the speed range between 30 km/h (18.6 mph) and 200 km/h (124.3 mph). With the seven-speed S tronic, it starts as soon as the car is started and can also bring the vehicle to a standstill behind the vehicle in front in regular traffic.
To make parking easier, the Audi A1 citycarver is equipped with a reversing camera, for example. The park assist, which uses its twelve ultrasonic sensors to guide the car into parallel and perpendicular parking spots, provides even greater convenience. The driver only needs to engage the right gear, accelerate and brake. The system also maneuvers out of parallel parking spots.
Two three-cylinders and one four-cylinder: the engines
The Audi A1 citycarver will be launched with three TFSI engines: two three-cylinder engines and one four-cylinder engine. They have a displacement of 1.0 and 1.5, respectively, and their output spectrum ranges from 70 kW (95 metric hp) to 110 kW (150 metric hp). Turbocharging, direct injection and a particle filter are all standard.
Compact and low-friction: the three-cylinder engines
The three-cylinder TFSI engines with their aluminum crankcase have 999 cc of displacement, a compact design and a low weight of just 88 kilograms (194.0 lb). The forged connecting rods and aluminum pistons are so finely balanced that the engine runs quietly and smoothly even without a balancer shaft. Throughout the crank drive the masses and friction loss remain low in magnitude. The intake and exhaust camshafts, which together operate twelve valves, can be adjusted by a crank angle of 50 or 40 degrees as required. The exhaust manifold is integrated in the cylinder head and is an important element of thermal management. Just like the crankcase, the head has its own cooling circuit.
The entry-level engine in the Audi A1 citycarver 25 TFSI has an output of 70 kW (95 metric hp) and its maximum torque is 175 Nm (129.1 lb-ft) (between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm). This is sufficient for accelerating from zero to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 11.2 seconds and achieving a top speed of 187 km/h (116.2 mph). In the more powerful performance level, the three-cylinder engine outputs 85 kW (116 metric hp) and 200 Nm (124.3 lb-ft) of torque, the latter also between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm. The A1 citycarver 30 TFSI accelerates from 0 to 100 km (62.1 mph) in 9.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 198 km/h (123.0 mph).
Efficient thanks to high-tech: the four-cylinder engines
Thanks to its aluminum crankcase, the 1.5 TFSI is also very light. The four-cylinder engine, which draws from a displacement of 1,498 cc, combines state-of-the-art efficiency technologies, including the cylinder on demand (COD) system. It shuts off the second and third cylinders at low and medium loads and engine speeds, helping to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 percent in moderate driving operation. The cylinder linings have an iron coating that is applied via plasma spraying and reduces friction significantly. The map-controlled cooling module enables particularly effective thermal management, which is assisted by the exhaust manifold located in the cylinder head. The common rail system operates with up to 350 bar; the high injection pressure results in low particle emissions.
The 1.5-liter engine in the the Audi A1 citycarver 35 TFSI has an output of 110 kW (150 metric hp) and transfers 250 Nm (184.4 lb-ft) of torque to the crankshaft in the range from 1,500 to 3,500 rpm. The standard sprint takes 7.7 seconds and the top speed is 222 km/h (137.9 mph).
Tailor-made partner for the engine: the transmission
The power of the engines is transferred to the front wheels. In the A1 citycarver 25 TFSI, a five-speed manual transmission performs the transmission, in the citycarver 30 TFSI, it is a six-speed gear box or, optionally, the seven-speed S tronic.
In cooperation with the Audi drive select dynamic handling system, the dual-clutch transmission provides a freewheeling function in “efficiency” mode that further reduces consumption. As an option, the driver can use paddles on the steering wheel to change gears. The compact sevenspeed S tronic that switches at lightning speed works with dry-running clutches-the omission of oil supply increases their efficiency.
Harmonious and sporty: the suspension
The suspension of the most progressive Audi A1 features harmonious tuning: This ensures sporty and secure handling, confident and smooth straight ahead running, and excellent comfort. A MacPherson structure with bottom wishbones serves as the front suspension, while a compact, light-weight torsion-beam axle is used at the rear. The electromechanical power steering is sensitive and precise, and its assistance depends on the current driving speed. When driving at high speeds through corners or on smooth surfaces, the Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) ensures precision and safety. The hold assist (standard with the S tronic) prevents the car from rolling unintentionally on uphill and downhill slopes for three seconds.
Even more fun to drive: the dynamic package
All engine variants of the Audi A1 citycarver have the same suspension setup, which raises the body trim level considerably as compared to the A1 Sportback, thereby allowing the vehicle to be driven on unsurfaced roads. At the customer’s request, the 30 TFSI and the 35 TFSI are equipped with the dynamic package. It includes red brake calipers, the Audi drive select dynamic handling system, adjustable dampers and a sound actuator.
The Audi drive select dynamic handling system gives the driving experience an even greater range. It offers the modes auto, dynamic, efficiency and individual (only in combination with navigation). In the base configuration, it affects the power steering and the engine characteristics. Optional elements such as the S tronic, adaptive cruise control, the engine sound and damper control are also included in the dynamic handling system.
Sporty and chic: wheels and brakes
The Audi A1 citycarver 25 TFSI and 30 TFSI roll off the line with 16-inch light alloy wheels as standard, while the 35 TFSI is already fitted with 17-inch wheels as standard. Audi and Audi Sport offer 17-inch and 18-inch wheels up to a tire size of 215/45, the latter in combination with the dynamic package. The internally ventilated brake discs on the front axle measure 276 millimeters (10.9 in) in diameter; the rear discs 230 millimeters (9.1 in).
