Audi’s A1 was once considered a vain effort to meddle with Mini’s pie, but now in 5-door guise, it’s turning into quite the proposition.

Photos: Low Fai Ming

It’s quite predicted when Audi presented to the world their latest compact A1 – no matter how many PR and marketing effort was put in, buyers still see the A1 the direct competitor to BMW’s Mini.

Of course, it wasn’t easy on Audi. Despite the more competitive pricing, cheeky but classy exterior (still a miracle how Audi manage to have this small car possess both traits) and far more superior technical underpinning, it still has a long way to go if it wants to compete with Mini; the newcomer versus the cult, to sum it all up.

That said, it’s not saying the A1 isn’t a success story here locally. To date, the A1 has quite some presence – well, making it come loaded with a list of option and different state of tunes surely gave it a wider audience. And now with the newest 5-door variant, Audi’s baby definitely has a trump card against the aging Mini. With that two extra doors, practicality and versatility is definitely it’s strongest selling point. On top of that, it’s far more glamorous than a VW Polo GTI.

The A1 Sportback is no botch, cut and paste job though; quite some work went into it. To begin with, it stands 6 mm higher and wider than the 3-door variant. Of course, the additional sheet metal also made this upsized A1 25 kg heavier too. Exterior wise, there isn’t much giveaway to let pedestrians know ‘I-am-driving-a-bigger-small-car’ though – that is, until you get to take a look at it from the rear three quarter.

The test car seen here came fitted with Audi’s S-line kit, which definitely gave the car an edgier presence on the road; the sporty front and rear bumpers are quite the eye-candy. Those 18-inch alloys - wrapped in low profile 215/35 R-18 Bridgestone rubbers - however seem a tad too big for the pint-sized A1. Well you know what they say about cars with big wheels: no, nothing about the driver. It does make a car crashy and less comfortable on the road, something I’ll talk more about later on.

The handsome and tactile switches, those circular air-con vents and prominent MMI screen all add to the A1 Sportback’s almost unquestionable desirability. There’s headroom aplenty and the driver and front seat passenger sit in well-contoured and supportive seats. Audi also fitted a brilliantly sized, leather-wrapped steering wheel here. In typical Audi fashion, you can run an entire country from here: Audio controls, check. Bluetooth connectivity plus telephone control check. Paddle shifters, check. Popcorn maker, nil. Unfortunately. Darn it.

Other goodies include a premium sound system courtesy of Bose. The rear seats, could still do with some more additional legroom. If you’re an adult, it’s still bearable over short journeys provided the front passenger isn’t as tall as Michael Jordan. That’s not all though: the backrest might come across as a little too upright. Perhaps only shopping bags or children will be the most comfortable rear bench occupants…

Perhaps if Audi had stretched the A1 Sportback’s wheelbase, it could have been a far happier story back there.

Probably you do not need much introduction to what lies beneath. It feels like déjà vu, yes sir. Powering the A1 Sportback is a 1.4-litre twincharged engine - as seen in everything you can find with a VW badge on. Mated to a seven-speed S-tronic transmission, it whips out a healthy 185 bhp and 250 Nm of torque, and takes only 6.9 seconds to get from standstill to 100 km/h. This car maxes out at 227 km/h.

Those stiffer springs with dampers adjusted to suit the sporting intent of the car ensures the A1 Sportback drives really well. It may not steer quite as sweetly as the Cooper S, or dispatch bends with quite a feeling of finesse, but the steering feels accurate, there’s little body roll, the brakes are strong, the S-tronic ‘box gives you an involving drive and there’s good composure while roving bumpy roads at speeds. In its entirety, the A1 Sportback gives the driver a secure sense of control.

More importantly, with or without the ESP, the front suspension does a grand job of transferring all that torque to the road without undue wheelspin. Where the car may fall just short of your expectations is in it’s ride comfort – which while comfy enough, can get a bit choppy on the same bumpy roads, and it’s tyre and road noise which is exacerbated on expansion joints up the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. As mentioned earlier, the low-profile tyres have a part in causing those issues.

So at the end of the day, why would you buy this car? After all, despite the extra two doors, it still didn’t prove itself to be as practical as one thought it would be.

Ok here’s why: it somewhat drives better than the 3-door version, has a tighter interior than a Mini’s, looks fresh and will remain so for at least another five years, and those extra doors will still be useful post shopping, to bring friends or pets around.

Last but not least, Audi’s A1 Sportback feels properly fast. Plus, it costs six grand or so cheaper than the Mini Cooper S… Or thirteen grand lesser than the “more practical” Cooper S Clubman.