Audi’s engineering team has decamped to the Arctic with a range of prototypes and our spy photographers have spotted what appears to be an Allroad version of the new A1 supermini.
Like its siblings, the A4 Allroad and A6 Allroad, it’s a jacked-up, SUV-inspired version of the standard model, offering rugged looks and a degree of off-road-ability. It’d go head to head with the Ford Fiesta Active when it arrives.
Our spy shots show little more than a disguised A1 Sportback with a striking set of fog-lamps and CB antenna. Look closer, though, and you’ll see wider arches hiding beneath the camouflage, along with a wider, squared-off front bumper, two bonnet vents instead of three, a raised ride-height and a slightly reshaped wing.
Sitting at the top of the range, the Allroad is likely to only be offered with the more powerful 148bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo, borrowed from the current-generation Golf. However, the spy shots gve us no indication as to whether the off-road supermini will be fitted with four-wheel drive or an advanced traction control system.
Inside the cabin will be carried over from the Sportback, which means a 10.1-inch display on the dash. There will probably be an extra drive mode for the new model, too, marked ‘Allroad’, which will prepare the car’s drivetrain for tougher terrain.
Now read our review of the standard Audi A1 Sportback. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…