Audi A1 1.6 TDI
- Thread starter TDIMeister
- Start date
rocketeer928
Veteran Member
Very nice. An Audi diesel with a manual transmission. I wish the A3 TDI had that. Will it ever come to the U.S.?
It looks like this is a complimentary article: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/253147/audi_a1_driven.html
It looks like this is a complimentary article: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/253147/audi_a1_driven.html
TDIMeister
Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
I highly doubt it. I actually hope not. For super-mini cars to sell in NA, they need to be priced dirt, dirt cheap. Instead, VW should bring a rebadged Brazillian Gol and/or Mexican Derby notchback.
Low-tech gasser (even Flexfuel and CNG-- now that's a selling point) engines and a 1.6 TDI.
PlaneCrazy
Top Post Dawg
They might be able to pull it off with the A1; after all the Mini is a premium very small car and it sells well here, in the $22-30+k (CDN) range. An A1 competitively priced might make it although it wouldn't have the "cute" factor of the Mini (the new Fiat 500 would though!). I'm sure it would do well in Quebec where small cars rule.
But what I'd rather see here is the Polo at a popular price. With a 1.6 TDI and a 1.2 or 1.4 TSI. But that would be hard to achieve at a popular price. Turbos are added complexity. VW would have to come out with a basic 1.5 or 1.6 normally-aspirated gasser and maybe a TDI at a significantly higher price. And it would have to be made in Mexico to keep labour costs down.
I'm sure VW's eyes are on Ford, watching what will happen with the new Fiesta. The Fiesta hatch is priced higher than competitors like the Fit, Yaris or Accent, but it offers a lot more car for the money IMHO. If Ford steals that niche of the market, VW may be impressed enough to offer a Polo or A1 here.
But what I'd rather see here is the Polo at a popular price. With a 1.6 TDI and a 1.2 or 1.4 TSI. But that would be hard to achieve at a popular price. Turbos are added complexity. VW would have to come out with a basic 1.5 or 1.6 normally-aspirated gasser and maybe a TDI at a significantly higher price. And it would have to be made in Mexico to keep labour costs down.
I'm sure VW's eyes are on Ford, watching what will happen with the new Fiesta. The Fiesta hatch is priced higher than competitors like the Fit, Yaris or Accent, but it offers a lot more car for the money IMHO. If Ford steals that niche of the market, VW may be impressed enough to offer a Polo or A1 here.
German_1er_diesel
Veteran Member
The 1.4T A1 is about 2K cheaper than a Mini Cooper - about the same power, turbo vs. NA - sounds like the better deal to me.
TDIMeister
Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
That's the problem. I see the market as saturated, with Mini and the FIAT 500 expected to come to the market as well as the Fiesta. It would be joined by the incumbents from Japan and Korea.
When I say "sell well", I'm talking about numbers that are still at least a half-order of magnitude bigger than the number of Minis sold. I think the Group thinks the same way too, if it's priority is to sell 1 million cars annually by 2018... I don't exactly know how many Minis sell in North America alone -- 40,000? 200k should be the target for VW/Audi Group.
Last edited:
TDIMeister
Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
Also to clarify, when I say "I hope not" to the question whether the A1 will come to North America, I mean because I'd rather that VW/Audi Group put more resources in improving it's customer experience with dealers and product quality as well as resources in an intelligent powertrain lineup in its existing models. Audi needs to put the a TDI in all its remaining models -- A4, A6, etc. and also VW in the Passat and Tiguan long before the Group needs to think about a whole new model, and put a TDI into it. 
Absolutely agree. They need to finish what they started. Anyone know if the VW group has figured out how to get the emissions plumbing that is used in the NA front drive Jetta TDi to work with larger consumption drive trains?Audi needs to put the a TDI in all its remaining models -- A4, A6, etc. and also VW in the Passat and Tiguan long before the Group needs to think about a whole new model, and put a TDI into it.
German_1er_diesel
Veteran Member
VW already has a version of the 2.0 TDI Passat with an urea-based emissions system that meets Euro 6. That should work just fine.
No kidding. A urea-based emissions system that will allow a vehicle to pass an emissions test.
How about my question as to the Jetta Common Rail External Exhaust Emissions System being able to handle larger consumption without resorting to piss.
TDIMeister
Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
There is a direct correlation between vehicle mass and NOx emissions in a test cycle. Drop a couple of hundred pounds and the problem is solved.
Source: Dorenkamp, R. LNT or Urea SCR Technology: Which is the right technology for TIER 2 BIN 5 passenger vehicles? 2006 DEER Conference.
With the proper engine modification and calibration (don't try this on your own car!!!), if we were to fuel our cars with naphtha instead of normal Diesel, we can significantly improve the NOx-soot tradeoff:
The improvement is even larger at low load when a specifically-design engine can operate in HCCI (homogeneous charge compression ignition) mode. VW calls this "CCS" (Combined Combustion System) and involves a lot of EGR. Practically no soot and practically no NOx, hence no need for a DPF and NOx catalyst at these operating conditions.
Source: Schmerbeck, S. et al. Future Fuels for New Combustion Systems. FISITA paper F2008-06-162.
Last edited:
Thanks for the info. It's quite interesting.
TDIMeister
Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
The people on this board clamouring for very small cars and a smaller TDI engine should be all over this, but they're not... hmmm...
greengeeker
Vendor
I failed to see where it stated the A1 TDI will be sold in NA....
TDIMeister
Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
Neither has the Polo been confirmed to be available in NA, but that has not stopped people from clamouring for it.
greengeeker
Vendor
True, but the possibility was at least mentioned in VWoA press releases whereas this UK-based magazine didn't even bring it up.
You can only get excited about the diesels offered in Europe so many times....
You can only get excited about the diesels offered in Europe so many times....
TDIMeister
Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
We are an international forum...
wolfskin
Veteran Member
Well, I, for one am not excited about the A1, because I am generally not excited about the Audi brand nowadays.
I'm usually not attracted (maybe even repelled a bit) of any brand that just markets itself as the "premium" version of another solid quality, if less glamorous, brand.
Hence, Polo is attractive to me, A1 is not. I fail to see what the A1 offers on top of a Polo, other than a "premium" image, which I care preciuos little of.
Maybe if I was into the sportier cars, but then I would probably lean towards a 1-series or a Mini Coper, a 500 Abarth possibly. A "luxury super-mini" sounds like an ass-backwards concept to me, as far as the Polo already offers good quality.
I'm usually not attracted (maybe even repelled a bit) of any brand that just markets itself as the "premium" version of another solid quality, if less glamorous, brand.
Hence, Polo is attractive to me, A1 is not. I fail to see what the A1 offers on top of a Polo, other than a "premium" image, which I care preciuos little of.
Maybe if I was into the sportier cars, but then I would probably lean towards a 1-series or a Mini Coper, a 500 Abarth possibly. A "luxury super-mini" sounds like an ass-backwards concept to me, as far as the Polo already offers good quality.
PlaneCrazy
Top Post Dawg
Agree 110%. When I was shopping for a car, a Passat wagon seemed like a much better value proposition than an A4 wagon, quattro or not (I don't really need AWD and don't want the fuel consumption penalty of it; ESP and FWD is plenty of winter ability). The difference was about 10 large.
A8540TDI
Well-known member
Agreed. When I was shopping I tried the A3 TDI and Golf TDI and felt the Audi was no where near worth $10k more. Besides, both had the same engine and the Golf 4 door was around 300# lighter, so was quicker and should give better fuel economy. Where I live, AWD is really not necessary; especially as torque steer is not a problem in the TDI. I wound up buying a Golf 4-door TDI with DSG and I really like it. I also have an Audi A8, and now that I have the Golf, it is spending most of its time in the garage, sleeping!
Base JSW TDI 24615
Base A3 TDI 29950
Loaded JSW TDI 32958
Loaded A3 TDI 38350
When checking the boxes, the A3 option list has more...well, more.
Stop with the $10k difference thing already.
As for the A1...I would take it over a BMW 1, Mini anything, or any other vehicle in it's class. What a wonderful job Audi did with this thing.
A8540TDI
Well-known member
I was comparing to the Golf TDI, not the JSW. A3 with nav, metallic paint, and mandatory convenience package was $36,300, no discount offered, whereas Golf 4 door, with metallic, DSG, Nav, Bluetooth, Xenons, and Dynaudio was $27,735 less $900 discount, total difference $9465. When you add the 6% sales tax, the difference is very close to $10k. Yes, the A3 has a few extras, but I think the Golf has superior seats and I prefer the cloth material, a lot cooler here in FL.
Gary Miyakawa
Admin Emeritus
I'd buy one (A1 TDI) in a heart beat! Great Airport car... Geezz..70.6mpg in the COMBINED test...
Still wishing...
Gary M
Still wishing...
Gary M
PlaneCrazy
Top Post Dawg
Golf 5-door Highline $28775 in Canada; A3 TDI $35300. Loaded Golf wagon, $30475. Impossible in Canada to make a Golf wagon more than a base A3. Top Golf Wagon is still $5k cheaper than the A3 and is a far more practical car. What options could the A3 have apart from xenon lights that I could possibly want on Golf??? It won't have them in any case at $35.3k.
I'm not convinced in favor of the A3...
TDIMeister
Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
Last I recall, this is a thread about the A1... all the talk about Dollar differences confirms that the buyer of such a car in this market wants it cheap.
^^^ exactly. I'd never pay over 20K for such a small car. I consider it crazy not in alignment with economy, frugal, what I expect it to be.
Smart, Mini, BMW M1, A2 or A1 whatever, it just doesn't make sense to pay such money. Unless you don't care, but then you don't talk about price ever ...
Smart, Mini, BMW M1, A2 or A1 whatever, it just doesn't make sense to pay such money. Unless you don't care, but then you don't talk about price ever ...
What I look for is the best car value for what I like and need. If cost/economy is the issue, the 'Smart, Mini, BMW M1, A2 or A1 whatever," vehicles are not on the list and VW products in general, as available here in the US, should not be either as they are not economy at all. A less expensive car that is still expensive is not economy. The fine TDI products available here are not economy but rather very efficient.
I fear there is no hope for these vehicles her in the US if the posts on this thread are any indication. It seems people cannot pull themselves away from the all you can eat, bigger vehicles are better no matter how they are used mentality.
I fear there is no hope for these vehicles her in the US if the posts on this thread are any indication. It seems people cannot pull themselves away from the all you can eat, bigger vehicles are better no matter how they are used mentality.
"Yes it's a Diesel"
Veteran Member
I would actually love the A1. I think that the Audi would be an awesome to drive; especially with 70mpg!!! It's small and effecient. I am sick of looking at this bloated pigs on our roads here.
srbsmartie
Member
How is the smart fortwo (not "Smart") not economical? I have a 2008 model, it cost me 15,500 and I get 42 mpg. I also have a/c, leather seats, cd player, alarm,alloy wheels, etc... true enough it only carries 2 people, but IMO that is pretty economical. I would rather have had the diesel but they aren't available in the States. There is no way I could have gotten a new TDI Golf/ Jetta/ Passat for that kind of money. Having said that, if Audi brings the A1 over with a TDI for a reasonable price I would buy it.... but I'd rather have a Polo
no-blue-screen
TDI Nut
I think it is a nice vehicle. A good fit for someone who is looking for premium & practical in one package. The mini is certainly popular but can't get close to those fuel economy numbers. Clearly not for everyone, but I think it would definitely sell.