With more younger buyers wanting an SUV-size vehicle, Audi has turned a hatchback into a mini off-roader

With such a boom for SUVs worldwide, some car brands are making the smart move of  ‘creating’ small crossovers from existing cars. Think Ford and its Focus Active.

Audi New Zealand has joined Ford by releasing the A1 citycarver 30 TFS, pricing it at $45,900, $2,000 more than the A1 Advanced hatchback.

My test model was specced up to $48,850 due to the addition of the arrow grey/black exterior colour ($1,200), heated front seats ($850) and $500 for the cloth seats.

So, what is the citycarver? Audi has called it a crossover vehicle and it has a 40mm extra ride height over the Advanced hatchback. Basically, it’s a car for people who can’t afford Audi’s entry level Q2 SUV that starts at $56,900.

Audi NZ says the car was introduced to expand the compact segment and attract a younger audience.

“This provides easier entry and better visibility. Its sporty, robust off-road stance hints at the model’s extensive capability, while a striking, youthful exterior allows the model to traverse both city and rural environments effortlessly,” it says.

Audi New Zealand General Manager, Dean Sheed, says the Audi A1 is a great addition to the premium compact category. “It’s fantastic to be able to offer a fourth variant to the Audi A1 line up. The Audi A1 citycarver combines the best of Audi technology and design to deliver a superior modern vehicle that is fit for today’s urban driver”.

As for that name – citycarver – Audi NZ says “this sort of derivative would be associated with the Audi Avant ‘allroad’ which isn’t right as it’s a very urban car”. For me, citycarver sounds like the name of a boutique butcher!

To give it the definitive SUV look, the citycarver gets plastic body cladding around the wheel arches, front and rear protection plates under the bumpers plus a new front grille that’s the same hexagonal shape as an Audi Q model. Added to that are 17in alloys in the 5-spoke Y-style.

It has the same punchy 1-litre petrol engine as the A1 Advanced, which produces 85kW of power and 200Nm of torque. It’s also paired with Audi’s 7speed S Tronic transmission.

That means it’s grunty enough in low gears and has enough guts to power you at city speeds and can easily cruise at motorway speeds without trouble, with enough guts to overtake. 

The citycarver has accurate, direct steering, which lets you place the car on the road with confidence and although it’s 40kg heavier than the A1 Advanced it’s great to make tight manoeuvres.

On the motorway, there’s no difference to any other A1 hatchback and it is more than capable of handling swift overtaking at speed.  It’s also sizeable enough for a weekend away thanks to good passenger space in the front, though the rear can be tight for anyone tall.

You also get the same responsive, easy-to-use touchscreen infotainment system as the regular A1; it's better than the system in the Ford Focus Active. 

I liked the higher driving position of the citycarver compared to a regular A1 and appreciated the larger Q grille that gave it more of a beefy appearance.

Speaking of the Focus Active, that’s priced from $36,990 and it is a great performer. But people will buy the citycarver for the four rings on the grille.