Audi has revised the 1.6-litre TDI engine in the A1 supermini, dipping it below the magic 100g/km to earn it official ‘green’ status.
What’s more, it is not just a single eco special that cracks the 100g/km barrier: ALL A1 1.6 TDI 105 emit 99g/km CO2 – even the sporty-look A1 TDI S-line.
The new CO2 figure follows work by the Audi engineers over the past year to improve upon the original A1 TDI. This emitted 105g/km, which the firm felt was so tantalisingly close to the 100g/km mark that extra investigations were warranted.
A year after launch, the result is the 99g/km TDI range, which is already on sale in Audi car dealers nationwide. It goes straight into battle with the MINI One D and Cooper D – both of which also emit 99g/km CO2.
The lower CO2 figure brings fuel economy improvements with it, too. The Audi A1 1.6 TDI 105 now averages 74.3mpg, up from the original car’s 70.6mpg figure. It also gets free road fund licence, thanks to the government exclusion for cars emitting less than 100g/km CO2.
All other existing Audi A1 models remain unchanged, with the same CO2 and mpg figures as launch.
In other Audi A1 news, there is also a new addition elsewhere in the A1 lineup, which pushes the A1’s CO2 range in the other direction. The new Audi A1 1.4 TSI 185 emits 139g/km CO2, and averages 47.9mpg.
However, the 185hp engine can also accelerate to 60mph in 6.9 seconds, and will go on to 141mph. Thus, by junior hot hatch standards, it is still pretty efficient.
Just one stumbling block – price. The new performance A1 costs £20,710. And you thought its VW Polo GTI cousin was expensive… RA
