BUYER'S GUIDE: Audi A1 Mk2.

Alternatives THE A1's biggest rival is the five-door MINI hatchback, which also comes with three and four-cylinder petrol engines, plus a diesel option that had been axed by the time the A1 Mk2 arrived. Audi was the first, with its original A3 of 1996, and of the three premium German brands it's also Audi that offers the smallest hatchback of all (Smart and MINI sub-brands aside). WHEN a car maker tries to move upmarket, the effects can be disastrous, but when a premium brand offers smaller cars for those who are less well heeled, it's rarely a bad decision. [Extracted from the article]