Audi A1 minicar may debut at Shanghai show

Shanghai, March 17 (Gasgoo.com) Volkswagen AG's luxury-car brand Audi is expected to bring the luxury mini Audi A1 model to the 2009 Shanghai auto show in late April, sina.com said today.

Audi unveiled a new compact five-door hybrid Audi A1 concept along with the S4 and an eco-A4 in early October 2008 at the Paris motor show. Earlier this year, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told reporters that Audi will bring a new model smaller than A4 to Shanghai auto show in April, a compact model widely believed to be the Audi A1.

Seen as a major rival to the MINI Cooper, the Audi A1, designed upon the VW Polo platform, is a luxury-level super-mini that should get up to 170 hp from one of five different engine choices and a possible hybrid. The hybrid has a 1.4-liter TFSI gasoline engine with 148bhp backed up by a 27bhp electric motor that chips in with an extra 111lb ft of torque when the car accelerates.

The Audi A1 engine choices seem to be perfectly slotted to compete against every level of MINI Cooper, beginning with the MINI One, on up to the 175 hp turbocharged MINI Cooper S. The Audi A1 will have four versions available: three-door hatchback, five-door hatchback, two-door coupe and convertible models.

Audi sold more than 1 million cars globally last year, including 118,100 units in China, which has the company's second largest market after its home Germany. After A6, A4 and Q5, Audi will make its fourth new model in China for the local market, said Stadler.

Though the Chinese market is difficult now, Audi is still seeing sales growth in China. Audi's China sales exceeded 7,000 units in January and 9,000 units in February, up 7% year on year in the first two months this year.