SPY PICS: Next-gen Audi A1 bares all

With Audi's second-generation A1, based on the Volkswagen Polo, the focus is said to be not only in improving interior space, but also on giving it a more dynamic character on the road.

The former will be helped by an overall growth in dimensions similar to those of the latest VW Polo, while the latter will come from the adoption of the group's stiffer and lighter MQB AO platform, with attendant upgrades to suspension tune, plus the wider availability of AWD across the range.

As has already been revealed, the Audi A1 will be offered in five-door form only and will feature a range of three and four-cylinder engines, the former displacing 1.0 litres and the latter, 1.5 and 2.0-litres. The hero engine will be a 2.0-litre turbo producing around 230kW in the AWD S1 performance variant. A 1.6-litre turbo-diesel is expected to feature too, as is a choice between manual and dual-clutch gearboxes.

Seen here in undisguised form during high-temperature shakedowns in southern Europe, the Audi A1 will be easily identifiable alongside its Volkswagen sibling by means of a chunkier profile and an aggressive front end, featuring an air-gulping grille that brings to mind the Q2 SUV.

The new-generation Audi A1 is locked in for a European introduction later this year, indicating that Australia should see it during the first half of 2019.