The start of this video seems out to prove that the Mini has it all - it’s cute, trendy, stylish, great to drive, an every man status symbol, retro cool etc etc. So how is the Audi A1 going to beat all of that? Will it be both funky and fun to drive? We sat through six Justin Timberlake videos (that’s right, SIX) not to get any closer to answering this question. And so here’s EVO to the rescue.

The big question is whether it will nail the same ‘cracking’ drive that Mini’s got. The style debate with the Audi A1 is a big one and I’m with Evo on this one, perhaps for different reasons. The A1 is small, it has the compact cute appeal but for me, it’s still an Audi. My father owns two Audis so you can understand that when I saw the A1, particularly the distinctive Audi front end which is remarkably similar to most other Audis in the range, you can imagine I wasn’t so convinced that this was a vechicle marketed to people in my age group.

Big news is that not even the Mini is as well built as the Audi A1, but the latter is not “playful”. In fact, it’s more sophisticated than exciting (back to my Dad). The same discussion on quality must be carried over to the drive feel. Clearly the Audi A1 is a good car but it lacks pizazz. It’s no Mini Cooper despite a good feel from the 120 hp. If you like polished and sophisticated then the A1 could be for you. But if you like your car a little rough around the edges, perhaps you stick to a Mini. Check it all out in the video.

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