ABDC: Audi S1 Sportback quattro

There were surprise performers that impressed during the inaugural Australia's Best Drivers Car, but none more so than the littlest Audi performer, the S1

It's almost as if the S1 Sportback quattro was designed for Tasmanian roads: all-paw grip, big torque and tenacious handling give Audi's pocket rocket the ability to deliver the pace and driveability demanding roads require. No wonder our judges loved it. The taut chassis and accessible power proved a hit on road and on the track.

Audi's S1 Sportback quattro combines the classic big-engine small-car recipe to full effect. All-wheel drive grip, accessible power and a tidy chassis mean the S1 is truly capable of utilising every last Newton-meter. All of the time… In all manner of conditions.

The spec sheet shows the S1 is a mighty strong contender for Australia’s Best Driver’s Car (ABDC).

The wee Audi’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four makes 170kW at 6000rpm -- a decent number is anyone's language. But the true story is the S1's 370Nm, on tap from 1600-3000rpm. Match this to a compact footprint, clever all-wheel drive system and sweet-shifting six-speed manual transmission and you have a properly fast point-to-point hot hatch.

And it's not just the dash from bend to bend that makes the S1 a joy to drive. Lateral grip is astounding and the balance of drive from front to rear delivers almost unlimited grip on surfaces that challenged many of our other contenders.

Tenacious front-end grip and quick steering complements the S1's nimble attitude too, and although it's a little light on feedback, the fast steering rack allows effective point-and-shoot cornering.

The S1 feels lighter than its 1415kg (kerb) weight would suggest, and with a taut yet forgiving lowered suspension arrangement is never uncomfortable when faced with challenging surfaces or hard compression under brakes.

Baskerville as a prime example... The tired surface, tackled in streaming wet conditions, did little to faze the S1.

On the track the S1's balance of turn-in, power and grip delivered a lap-time of 1m12.62sec – the fifth fastest of the group and only tenths of a second behind the likes of the Jaguar and Nissan GT-R.

It was also striking that the S1 was able to take it up to its big-power rivals in a straight-line. The little Audi didn't quite match its claimed 0-100km/h time, but at 6.4sec was only half a second off. It also managed to run the 0-400m sprint in 14.40sec with a terminal speed of 160.5km/h, bettering the Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy R's and only just behind the Subaru WRX STI.

Of course, it isn't perfect. The colourful, compact cabin is tight for taller drivers and the pedal box, which is slightly offset to centre, makes heel-toe shifting an uncomfortable task – a shame considering the progressive and well modulated pedal stroke of the brake and clutch.

Generally, however, refinement and ergonomics are well sorted with a supportive seat and chunky steering wheel lending the S1 a purposeful feel. The thigh support is especially welcomed, holding you in place under the kind of heavy braking applications.

When the dust settled in ABDC judging the S1 ranked fourth narrowly pipping the Ford Fiesta ST EcoBoost and Nissan GT-R Premium.

This result leaves just three contenders ahead of it  – the Porsche Cayman GTS, Mercedes-AMG A 45 and Jaguar F-TYPE R.

It's not only a credit to the S1 to be ranked in such company, but one that is certain to leave you wondering just which car will take out the trophy.

Watch this space!

ABDC ranking: Fourth

ABDC Scorecard