Audi A1 Vs MINI

British buyers love superminis, because they often serve up decent boot and passenger space but are compact and can be fun to drive - plus they鈥檙e easy to park. Upmarket offerings such as the Audi A1 and MINI carry features down from more premium segments, yet they retain small dimensions and low running costs. The new Audi A1 aims to bring tech from the brand鈥檚 high-end models and blend it with a compact, stylish body at an affordable price. But it has tough competition here, because our favourite car in this class has plenty of appeal in those areas and is great fun to drive. With a new platform and some advanced tech, then, can the latest A1 take on the MINI and win? For: Lots of cutting-edge technology, sharp looks, interior feels more spacious than the MINI鈥檚. Against: Doesn鈥檛 offer much more than a VW Polo, not as good to drive as the Brit.

Audi has completely overhauled its A1 supermini. It鈥檚 now based on the VW Group鈥檚 MQB A0 platform and features a new exterior look, a refreshed cabin design and plenty of up-to-the-minute technology. You鈥檒l notice the Audi鈥檚 striking new grille and front bumper straight away, while the rest of the car apes this with a typically evolutionary design. On the inside there鈥檚 a simple, clean layout with some soft-touch materials used in key places. However, some cost-saving hard plastics are still to be found in key areas like the doors, and the design is much more plain than its competitor. The upgraded infotainment system (part of the 拢1,650 Technology Pack) on our test car is superb, though, and really helps the Audi stand out from its rival, even with the MINI鈥檚 own optional system fitted. Still, one of the Audi鈥檚 biggest flaws is the cabin, because it doesn鈥檛 have the upmarket air of the MINI on the inside. Despite its higher list price, in certain areas the A1 looks and feels similar to the cheaper Volkswagen Polo, while the MINI has a unique and interesting design that helps to justify its premium price.

The other thing that sets the two apart is the way they drive. The MINI is more fun than the Audi and its more sophisticated-feeling chassis makes the car seem more playful, without losing any maturity. It鈥檚 not that the Audi is bad to drive; it has direct steering, good grip and a decent gearchange. But it misses out on the MINI鈥檚 entertaining balance, more involving steering and great driving position. It also doesn鈥檛 ride as well as the British model. It fidgets over harsh surfaces and isn鈥檛 as smooth around town, either. This lumping and bumping means the Audi isn鈥檛 as settled as its competitor. The engine has a power disadvantage, too, but the A1鈥檚 low kerbweight of 1,105kg and shorter gear ratios helped it against the 1,160kg MINI. From 30-70mph the Audi took 9.2 seconds, only 0.3 seconds behind its more powerful rival. The A1 also needed just 4.6 seconds to go from 30-50mph in third gear, while the MINI took 5.4 seconds to do the same. Again the A1 beat the MINI in fourth, taking 6.3 seconds compared with 6.7 seconds.

The Audi鈥檚 engine is also a little quieter than the MINI鈥檚 three-cylinder unit when revved, although it doesn鈥檛 sound as sweet so it鈥檚 less characterful. Standard equipment on Sport trim includes 16-inch alloys, LED headlights, air-conditioning, a 10.25-inch digital screen in place of traditional analogue dials and MMI radio plus, which brings an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Infotainment: Optional 10.1-inch touchscreen display uses similar interface to latest Audi A6 and A7 models; it works really well and looks very upmarket in a supermini. Virtual Cockpit: 10.25-inch digital display instead of analogue dials is useful and adds to the A1鈥檚 hi-tech appeal. Materials: Material quality isn鈥檛 as solid as in the MINI, because some of the plastics look cheap and the design is simpler. For: Great fun to drive, high-quality interior, stylish design. Against: Fuel economy worse than the A1鈥檚, expensive options. The latest version of the MINI Cooper was launched last year and features new LED lights and some more kit.

MINI also overhauled its trim line-up as part of the update, so it鈥檚 more traditional than before; Cooper refers only to the car鈥檚 engine (a 134bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol), and the trim level choice is now Classic, Sport or Exclusive. Engineers didn鈥檛 need to change much with the updated MINI, because it was already among the best drivers鈥?cars in its class. In both three and five-door form the baby Brit is a delight from behind the wheel, thanks to quick and direct steering, lots of cornering grip and a punchy engine. Our car came with the 拢600 adaptive suspension upgrade, which means you can switch to the Sport setting for stiffer damping, although changing driving modes doesn鈥檛 make that much difference. That鈥檚 not too much of an issue because in the default setting the well-judged suspension set-up allows enough compliance to retain composure so as not to feel unsettled on rough roads.