The Audi A1 launch – An adrenaline filled evening

The evening started a bit slow with people slowly dropping in. Perhaps arriving on time was not a bad idea after all as we got to relax and chit chat well ahead of the fun. When comedian Trevor Noah the host for the evening arrived, real fun began. Set in Melrose Arch, the launch of the new Audi A1 attracted all the who’s who of the entertainment zoo, but I must say that the stage was set up beautifully like the sassy A1.

My first thoughts when I first saw the Audi A1 were classy, young, sporty and stylish. Then we were introduced to a selection of the ambassadors of the Audi as they were being dropped off each in a different colour Audi. The Audi ambassadors include the beautiful and stylish Jeannie D, radio and TV presenter Anele Mdoda, model Shashi Naidoo, Roxy Louw, Siyabonga Ngwekazi and swimmer Cameron Van Der Bergh, who were all given a car with the color of their choice. Even though they are all from different backgrounds they share a common denominator: young, full of life, stylish, vibrate and most definitely full of character.

The Audi A1 comes with different colors and can be shaped according to your needs, once again exhibiting all the characteristics of a genuine Audi. You can get it with the roof arch and with contrasting colors and design packages for the interior, with all the accessories that a young vibrant person needs, like the optional infotainment range MMI navigation plus with navigation data on hard drive and 20GB jukebox to save your own music on.

Then it was time to test the harnessed power of a mighty engine. The thrill of agility and performance at the legendary Phillip Kekana’s command got me day dreaming: “What could be better than being behind the wheel of an Audi A1 and experiencing all this?” I could barely open my eyes as the adrenaline took charge of my body feeling out of this world.

Move over Mini – the new Audi A1 is finally here! Even the most basic Audi A1 comes fairly well equipped. SE spec means air conditioning, sports steering wheel, 16-inch alloys and a brace of airbags; Sport adds more heavily bolstered seats, 17s and stiffer suspension, while S-Line means leather seats and various bits of aluminium trim.

The Audi A1 comes in three engines under its bonnet: an 85bhp 1.2 petrol turbo, 120bhp 1.4 petrol turbo and a 104bhp turbo diesel. Its dashboard and door casings are covered in soft-touch plastics and every switch feels as good as it looks. Think Boxster and 911: they’ve got the same quality feel and share many components – but the Audi A1 costs half as much as these two.

Snapping back into reality after the Audi A1 experience was sort of a rude awakening. I had to reluctantly get behind the wheel of my ride which has very standard features such as the front loader CD and power steering, and that’s it. The Audi A1 experience will feature in my memories for a long while.
By Likeleli Ramahlele