Audi A1: Pure driving experience

Source: Audi AG

· Direct-ratio, electrohydraulic power steering


· ESP stabilization system with electronic axle differential lock

· Winkelhock: “Benchmark in the small compact class!”

Ingolstadt, February 26, 2009 – With its agile handling and direct steering, the
new Audi A1 is just a lot of fun. Dr. Horst Glaser, Head of Chassis Development at
AUDI AG, tested the A1 together with DTM pilot Markus Winkelhock. The verdict
was as follows

The new Audi A1 offers a very sophisticated chassis, balanced weight distribution
and a low center of gravity. “That is a guarantee for maximum driving enjoyment,”
says Horst Glaser, Head of Chassis Development at AUDI AG. Because it connects the
driver to the road, the steering is one of the most important components of a sporty
car. The A1 therefore comes standard with electrohydraulic power steering that has
a very direct 14.8:1 steering ratio and is also more efficient than a purely hydraulic
system.

Another factor for the agile and safe handling of the A1 is the perfect tuning of the
front axle bearings, the stabilizer bars, the springs and the dampers. The rear axle
features a torsion-beam suspension with the springs and dampers separated. “The
car is very well sprung. It swallows up bumps of almost any size without any
amplification of the motions,” says DTM pilot Markus Winkelhock when describing
his impressions.

One new Audi technology is on board every version of the A1 – the ESP stabilization
system with an innovative electronic axle differential lock. The brakes are applied
slightly to the inside wheel in a curve, allowing more torque to be transferred to the
wheel on the outside of the curve. The vehicle is very agile and the handling remains
neutral even longer.
“After driving the Audi A1 for the first time, my opinion is clear: It’s the benchmark
in the small compact class,” says Winkelhock.