Audi A1 Citycarver adds lift, but it's more about style
It's basically the A1 hatchback with a lift kit and more equipment.
The Audi A1 Sportback is the tiniest of the automaker's offerings in Europe, and its size and packaging has proved mighty popular since its debut in 2010. While rumors have surfaced about a potential Q1 coming in the near future, Audi has just released a new trim that should split the difference between the two to help bide the time.
Audi on Monday unveiled the A1 Citycarver. This isn't some sort of package designed to give the A1 any sort of off-road cred, unless you count gravel roads as hitting the dirt. Instead, it's just an appearance package that brings the A1 a little closer to cosplaying a crossover.
The slightly beefier look of the A1 Citycarver comes from a few different pieces. There are stronger wheel arches and door sills in a contrasting color, and there's additional underbody protection in a stainless-steel finish. Both bumpers are new, although they don't look that much different. The look is capped off with a suspension lift of about 1.6 inches. It also gets the larger 17-inch alloy wheels that are only offered on the A1 Sportback's S Line trim.
Even Audi's less expensive vehicles benefit from the systems and design motifs that recently surfaced in Audi's far more expensive cars.
The inside appears unchanged from the A1 Sportback, looking mighty angular with a number of elements that look very similar to the also-new 2019 Audi Q3 . An 8.8-inch center screen and a 10.25-inch digital display cluster are standard, but options packages grow both screens to 10.1 and 12.3 inches, respectively.
There's a solid amount of standard tech in here, as well, including automatic braking and lane departure warning, in addition to LED headlights and rear parking sensors. It can be upgraded further with a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, wireless device charging and embedded navigation.
Audi's new A1 Citycarver will be available to order starting in August, and it'll arrive at dealers in the fall. It's unclear how many engines it will rock, but for context, the A1 Sportback is available in Europe with four different engines, from a 1.0-liter I3 putting out 95 horsepower to a 200-hp, 2.0-liter I4. Smaller engines can be optioned with a manual transmission, too.
