How to spec an Audi A1

The Audi A1 is a brilliant car – so good it won our overall Car of the Year award earlier this year. So, if you have already decided to buy an A1, well done - you've made a good choice.

However, once you begin to spec an Audi A1 there are still some choices to make that can turn your good decision into a great one. Here, we show you how.

Three or Five doors?
Audi launched the A1 Sportback – a five-door version - at the Tokyo motor show earlier this month. We haven't yet driven it, but if you think you would appreciate the extra practicality the five-door model brings, you can order one now, with first deliveries expected in March or April next year. It's expected to cost around £560 more than the hatchback.

Orders taken for the three-door version now are expected to be delivered by the end of February.

Engine
There are three engines on sale now – 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrols (with two power outputs) and a 1.6-litre diesel. Audi has announced that a 2.0-litre diesel will join the line up – we're due to drive that version next month.

The 1.2-litre petrol is best suited for in-town driving and we'd recommend the 1.6-litre diesel only if you do a lot of miles on the motorway. It's noisy and inflexible otherwise.

Meanwhile, the 182bhp 1.4-litre model just doesn't have the involvement that a hot hatch should.

The lower 1.4-litre petrol then is our favourite, but not by default. It is the most fun to drive, yet still has decent fuel economy.

You can spec Audi's excellent S tronic gearbox but when the six-speed manual version is so much fun, we'd stick with the manual.

Trim
There are SE, Sport and S line trim packages offering not only different levels of equipment, but also firmer suspension and bigger wheels as you progress up through the range, so you need to order carefully.

Our advice is to go for Sport trim. SE trim is noticeably cheaper, but you forgo too many of the toys that make the A1 feel a little more special.

Sport trim includes stiffer suspension for sharper handling, which adds a firm edge to the ride. You can choose SE-spec suspension as a no-cost option, however.

S line specification brings more equipment and even sportier trim, but it also brings suspension that is a bit too stiff for our liking and can't be de-selected.

Sport comes with Bluetooth, a multi-function leather steering wheel, a CD player with MP3 compatibility, an SD card reader, an auxilary socket, a 6.5-inch display screen, front foglights and polished tailpipes.

Options
There are always plenty of options to consider when configuring an Audi, but with the A1 there are a few extras that we would recommend.

Metallic paint: £510
It looks cool and will help to shift the car when it's time to sell.

Roof contrast line: £350
The A1 looks spot-on when the front and rear pillars, as well as the roof line, are in a different colour from the rest of the car.

Electronic climate control: £330
This option will not only make the cabin temperature just so, but the knobs are made of a cool aluminium trim with a slick action. Fail to spec this option and you get drab plastic dials for the air-con that feel clunky to use.

Connectivity package: £305
With this you get Audi's Music Interface, a Bluetooth interface including voice control, and Bluetooth audio streaming. It also includes an additional SD card reader and preparation for sat-nav. So even if you don't want sat-nav now, you can get it later. This could be quite attractive to buyers when it comes to sell the car on, too.

Acoustic parking system (rear only): £305
Helps keep your pride and joy's bumpers in pristine condition.

Basic Price: £15,670
Options: £1800
Total: £17,470

Our mystery shoppers have found that you can get a 1.75% discount on the A1 and its options, so that's the least you should aim for when haggling with your dealer.

Target Price*: £17,181


*This is the most you should pay for this car. It's an achievable discounted price that includes options.