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Written by Ollie Kew
The Audi A1 isn"t just late to the party it"s not even bothered with a costume. The first A1 arrived a yawning nine years after the reborn Mini basically invented the small, cool, posh car for the 21st Century. Now it"s back, and the sequel has almost dabbled with the Mini"s sacred territory retro. Look! Those three (fake) intakes under the bonnet straight from the Sport Quattro. The A1 is that guy who turns up to a fancy-dress party still wearing his crumpled suit from the office, and tells everyone he"s come as James Bond. In S-line trim (bigger fake intakes, sportier seats, 17-inch wheels) it looks angular, and downright angry. Bit plasticky, too. The Mini arrives and immediately looks cuddly and toylike. But cute? Nope, this third-gen Mini, especially in l-o-n-g five-door form, is too big and too ugly to be all cootchi-coo-adorable any more. The droopy bottom lip of this Sport pack version gives it the expression of a toddler who"s just been told no pudding before eating your greens. And what"s going on with those Brexit taillights? How do we vote no on those? Both make an impression though, which is why you"d buy one over say, a Seat Ibiza or Ford Fiesta. Both superb small cars, and both cheaper. But they"re less likely to turn heads on the high street than a charity shop closing down sale. What"s more, the ex-Citroen DS3 and Fiat 500 are now so dated you need National Trust membership to drive one. The premium supermini game is a two-horse race.
Date written: 27 Dec 2018
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 14402
The Audi A1 isn"t just late to the party it"s not even bothered with a costume. The first A1 arrived a yawning nine years after the reborn Mini basically invented the small, cool, posh car for the 21st Century. Now it"s back, and the sequel has almost dabbled with the Mini"s sacred territory retro. Look! Those three (fake) intakes under the bonnet straight from the Sport Quattro. The A1 is that guy who turns up to a fancy-dress party still wearing his crumpled suit from the office, and tells everyone he"s come as James Bond. In S-line trim (bigger fake intakes, sportier seats, 17-inch wheels) it looks angular, and downright angry. Bit plasticky, too. The Mini arrives and immediately looks cuddly and toylike. But cute? Nope, this third-gen Mini, especially in l-o-n-g five-door form, is too big and too ugly to be all cootchi-coo-adorable any more. The droopy bottom lip of this Sport pack version gives it the expression of a toddler who"s just been told no pudding before eating your greens. And what"s going on with those Brexit taillights? How do we vote no on those? Both make an impression though, which is why you"d buy one over say, a Seat Ibiza or Ford Fiesta. Both superb small cars, and both cheaper. But they"re less likely to turn heads on the high street than a charity shop closing down sale. What"s more, the ex-Citroen DS3 and Fiat 500 are now so dated you need National Trust membership to drive one. The premium supermini game is a two-horse race.
Date written: 27 Dec 2018
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 14402
