It should come as no surprise that Audi will offer a number of different variants of its new A1 compact hatch. What is surprising (kinda) is that the forthcoming S1 will be the first modern, performance-focused Audi to lack all-wheel drive.
According to Autocar, Audi intends to sell 100,000 A1s annually and to pull off those kind of numbers, it will have to diversify. Included in the plan is a five-door version, similar to the A1 Sportback concept seen in Paris, that’s likely to ditch the contrast roof rails in favor of a more traditional top. The wagon will likely hit dealers abroad this time next year (production version in Paris?), with the same combination of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines as the three-door model.
A convertible version will likely arrive in 2012 with a fabric roof and 2+2 seating, with the S1 variant landing around the same time. When the S-ified A1 hits the market, it’s likely to only be available in three-door form, packing a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-pot boosted to around 180 hp and sending power to the front wheels through Audi’s seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. If you’re disappointed by the lack of Quattro, don’t be – the S1 won’t make it to the U.S. anyway.