Review: Audi 8XA S1 Sportback (2014-18)

Overview

Released in Australia in September 2014, the Audi 8XA S1 Sportback was a light, five-door hatch. Manufactured in Brussels, Belgium, the all-wheel drive Audi S1 Sportback was powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that was mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Furthermore, the 2.0 TFSI engine had a start-stop system which enabled it to switch off if the vehicle was stationary and no gear was engaged.

2.0 TFSI (EA888) engine

The Audi S1 Sportback’s 2.0-litre CWZ turbocharged engine was a member of Volkswagen’s EA888 Gen 3 engine family. Key features of the CWZ engine included its cast iron block, forged steel crankshaft, Alusil cylinder head, double overhead camshafts driven by gear chains, four valves per cylinder actuated by roller cam followers with needle bearings, variable intake and exhaust valve timing, two-stage variable exhaust valve lift, an IHI turbocharger which provided peak boost pressure of 1.4 bar (20.3 psi), direct fuel injection and multi-point port injection, and a compression ratio of 9.3:1. To minimise fuel consumption, the S1 Sportback had a ‘Start/Stop’ function which enabled the engine to shut down when the vehicle was stationary in traffic.

The S1 Sportback could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and had a top speed of 250 km/h.

Dimensions

The Audi S1 Sportback was 3975 mm long, 1746 mm wide (excluding mirrors), 1423 mm tall and had a 2469 mm long wheelbase. Cargo capacity was 210 litres, tough this increased to 860 litres when the rear seats were folded. Furthermore, kerb weight was 1340 kg, while the S1 Sportback’s drag coefficient was 0.34 Cd.

Suspension

The Audi S1 Sportback had MacPherson strut front suspension with lower wishbones and four-link rear suspension (rather than the torsion beam suspension in the related A1 Sportback ). Furthermore, damper settings – and throttle response – were adjustable via the ‘Audi drive select’ adaptive dynamics system.

quattro AWD system

The all-wheel drive system (Audi’s ‘quattro’) for the S1 Sportback utilised a multi-plate clutch which was located on the rear axle. In normal conditions, drive was directed to the front wheels. In the event that traction was lost, however, the multi-plate clutch could engage and direct up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Audi S1 Sportback included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with double pretensioners. 

Features

Standard features for the Audi S1 Sportback included 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/40 R17 tyres, a 180 watt sound system with ten speakers (including subwoofer) and a six-channel amplifier, Audi’s MMI (‘Multi Media Interface’) with a 6.5-inch colour screen, navigation system, 20 GB of music storage, two SDHC memory card rearders and voice recognition, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, climate control air conditioning, front sports seats with cloth/leather upholstery, cruise control, xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, floor mats, tyre repair kit, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

Related links

• Specifications: Audi 8XA S1 Sportback (September 2014)
• Technical Data: Audi 8XA S1 Sportback (September 2014)
• Press Kit: Audi 8XA S1 Sportback (September 2014)
• Audi Australia: Audi S1 Sportback