Audi A1 now £1,000 cheaper

The Audi A1 is now £1,000 cheaper than before thanks to the introduction of a new 1.0-litre petrol engine.

The new engine is available in both the three-door A1 and the Audi A1 Sportback and joins a revised version of the frugal 1.6-litre TDI diesel.

Audi's new 1.0-litre TFSI engine produces 94bhp, allowing the A1 and A1 Sportback to accelerate from 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds. Audi claims the car can return up to 67mpg and thanks to CO2 emissions of 97g/km, buyers will pay no road tax.

An optional £1,540 seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox is available in addition to the standard five-speed manual. Choosing the automatic increases running costs, though, with fuel consumption and CO2 emissions rising to 64.2mpg and 102g/km.

The new 1.0-litre TFSI engine replaces the old 88bhp 1.2-litre engine.

The 1.6-litre TDI diesel model remains the cheapest to run, and thanks to some minor tweaks, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been improved further. It now records an impressive 80.7mpg and 92g/km.

The new 1.0-litre engine is available in both SE and Sport trims. Both feature alloy wheels, air-conditioning and a 6.5-inch retractable display among their standard features. The car's safety credentials are boosted by a system that can automatically apply the brakes should a potential crash be detected.

Sport models also feature MP3 player and smartphone connectivity, Bluetooth and sports suspension. Although Audi has made this suspension setup a little softer to soak up more bumps, buyers can still choose the more comfortable SE configuration at no extra cost.

A wide range of options is available, including a number of customisation features such as the ability to choose a roof in a contrasting colour to the rest of the car.

The Audi A1 1.0 is available to order now, and the first cars will be delivered to customers in the summer.

Audi A1 1.0 TFSI prices

Audi A1 Sportback 1.0 TFSI prices