Audi is planning to end the production of its most affordable car – the A1.
The German carmaker’s CEO, Gernot Döllner, recently confirmed to Autocar UK that the company will discontinue the A1 and Q2 in 2026, and that we won’t be getting a replacement.
Big changes on the horizon
The A1 shares its architecture with the VW Polo and is by far and away the most affordable Audi on sale in South Africa, retailing for between R528,400 and R590,790.
This figure is also higher than normal, as Audi South Africa made a change to the car’s lineup last year when it slimmed the selection down to just two units, including a special “Black Edition” model.
To put this in perspective, the next “cheapest” Audi is the Q3, which currently sells for a minimum of R740,100, while the A1’s direct upgrade, the A3, asks for an even higher R808,200.
The Q3 is also a bit of an outlier here, as the VW T-Roc-based Q2 should be the brand’s entry-level SUV, but this model is also currently limited to a special Urban Edition and Black Edition trim, inflating its price tag to a minimum of R748,280.
This means that Audi is planning to scrap both its most affordable hatchback and crossover, which ties into its broader plans to revamp its lineup.
Last year, the carmaker announced that it would radically change its existing roster to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), which will play a more prominent role going forward.
This is significant for the Audi’s cheapest vehicle, as Döllner told Autocar that “there definitely will be no successor for the A1.”
Instead, the manufacturer plans to create a new A-segment (entry-level) EV that will take the A1’s place.
Audi has yet to give this model a name, though the current speculation is that it will revive the “A2” designation, which we haven’t seen since 2005.
The unnamed EV is still very early in development with no indication as to its specs or price tag, so it’ll likely still be a few years until it breaks cover.
Unfortunately, this also means that there will probably be an interim period between the A1’s discontinuation and the launch of the new model where Audi technically lacks an entry-level car altogether.
A similar procedure is planned for the Q2, which will also get a spiritual successor that has yet to be named.
It’s also worth pointing out that the discontinuation of the A1 and Q2 may be a sign of what’s to come for the VW Polo and T-Roc within the next few years.
VW has yet to definitively say that either of these cars will be axed, however, CEO Thomas Schäfer previously warned that there was “little point” carrying on with small internal combustion cars like the Polo and, to a lesser extent, the Golf (which the T-Roc is based on).
The Golf and its high-performance GTI iteration appear to be safe for the time being, given that Volkswagen is reluctant to kill off such an iconic name, but the brand wants to move forward with its ID. line of EVs, and the Polo is one of the models eyed for the chopping block to make way for these units.
That being said, VW South Africa plans to produce a new Polo-based crossover at its Eastern Cape factory before the end of the decade, which suggests that the carmaker will keep the Polo around to serve markets like Africa and South America, while regions like Europe will likely make the full transition to EVs.
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