The brand new 2020 Audi A1 citycarver has made its
public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show finished in the same bright shade of
orange as the launch car we saw in late July.
The A1 citycarver is a high-riding version of the
regular A1 Sportback, the most obvious difference between them being the
former’s 40 mm additional ground clearance. Audi says this enables
it to tackle “slightly rough terrain”, but considering the car is aimed at
urban dwellers and is front-wheel drive only (hence the absence of an “Allroad”
moniker), we doubt many drivers will ever have to deal with anything too
demanding.
Viewed from the front, one of the aspects that
immediately distinguishes the citycarver from the Sportback is that it has two,
rather three, horizontal air slots above the front grille. In addition, it
features black accents on the front splitter, black wheel arches, stainless
steel underbody protection, and more rugged bumpers.
Depending on the market, the A1 citycarver will be
available with a number of powertrains. In the UK, for example, it can be had
with two petrol engines, a 114 HP, 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder and a
1.5-liter four-cylinder delivering 148 HP. More options are expected to be
added to the lineup down the line.
Order books for the A1 citycarver opened last month
and the first deliveries are expected in the fall.
