2014 Audi S1: Price And Features For Australia

Audi’s most compact S model is now on sale in Australia. And, when the company’s local arm said it would land at around $50,000, it wasn’t kidding.

Launching this week at $49,900, the 2014 S1 Sportback is one of the most expensive ways you can unburden your wallet in the light-hatch segment.

It could also be one of the most thrilling, thanks to the tiny hatch’s big heart: a 2.0 litre turbo four producing 170kW and 370Nm of torque.

Matched exclusively to a six-speed manual and Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system, the S1 claims a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds.

That means that, for punch and pace, the S1 outdoes just about all of its ‘hot hatch lite’ rivals - the Fiesta ST, the 208 GTi, the Clio RS - and at least a few of the larger offerings.