Models · Audi
Audi A1 Sportback GB buying guide
The second A1, sold from 2018 to 2025 as a five-door Sportback only, with turbocharged petrol engines from a 1.0 three-cylinder to a 2.0 four-cylinder. No diesel and no four-wheel drive version was offered in this generation.
The versions
- 25 TFSI: 1.0 three-cylinder, 95PS, cambelt
- 30 TFSI: 1.0 three-cylinder, 110PS, cambelt
- 35 TFSI: 1.5 four-cylinder, 150PS, with cylinder deactivation, cambelt
- 40 TFSI: 2.0 four-cylinder, 200PS, timing chain, S tronic only
- 5-speed manual on the 25 TFSI, 6-speed manual on the 30 and 35 TFSI, or 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic; front-wheel drive only
What to check on a GB A1
3 model-specific things to look at when you view one. They're a starting point, not the full inspection.
How the S tronic takes up drive
What to look for: Spend time at walking pace: pulling away gently, creeping in traffic, reversing and a hill start. A healthy gearbox takes up drive smoothly and almost at once and creeps like a conventional automatic. A delay of a second or more before drive engages, a shudder like a slipping clutch, or a shunt between first and second is the thing to note.
Why it matters: The 7-speed S tronic on the 1.0 and 1.5 is the DQ200 dry-clutch unit. Its clutches run in air, so it sheds heat less well, and stop-start town driving is the hardest use it sees. Judder and hesitation at low speed are the early signs; the control unit on the side of the gearbox is the main part involved. A specialist reading the clutch adaptation values sees wear before you can feel it.
Bucking at low revs (35 TFSI)
What to look for: Drive gently in a high gear at around 1,200 to 2,000rpm, as you would in slow traffic. The car should pull smoothly. If it bucks or kangaroos, as though you are lifting on and off the throttle, note it.
Why it matters: The 1.5 shuts down two cylinders under light load, and on early cars the switch back causes a jolt. Pre-2020 cars are most affected. Volkswagen Group released revised engine and gearbox software that resolves most of it, and an Audi dealer can confirm from the chassis number whether it has been applied.
Hesitation or limp mode under acceleration (1.0 TFSI)
What to look for: On a clear road, accelerate firmly from about 1,500rpm. The engine should build power evenly. Hesitation, a flat feel, or a sudden loss of power with an EPC or engine warning light is what to watch for.
Why it matters: The turbo's wastegate actuator is known to stick on this engine, and it's associated with cars that have only been driven gently. The fault is often intermittent before it becomes permanent, so ask how the car has been used. The 95PS 25 TFSI works its turbo less hard and is less often affected.
Also in the full guide
- A misfire under load (1.0 TFSI)
- A rattle on a cold start (40 TFSI)
- Coolant loss from the water pump
- The cold start, test drive and paperwork checks for the exact version you're viewing
The full guide to the GB A1
The CrankSight guide walks you round the car on your phone at the viewing, with every check for the exact version you're looking at: what to look for, where to find it, and what anything you find is likely to cost. As you go it builds an assessment of that car, and if you view more than one, it lines them up side by side.
£29 for the model, used on as many cars as you like, delivered within 72 hours or your money back.
Other generations
General points for the model, last checked October 2026. Every car is different, so treat this as a guide to what to look at, not a verdict on any car. CrankSight is independent and has no connection with Audi.