With the onslaught of crossovers and SUVs in the market, you’d be forgiven to forget that conventional offerings like superminis, or as they’re called in North America, sub-compact hatches, continue to be popular in many regions, including Europe.

Among the most interesting and newest proposals in the segment is the Audi A1 – as long as you’re comfortable paying a premium over its closely related Volkswagen Polo and Seat Ibiza cousins for a more upscale styling and cabin materials.

Let’s begin with the interior

The driver-oriented dashboard is one major plus, but then again so is the digital instrument cluster that’s customizable, the easy-to-use infotainment system, plenty of head- and legroom at the back for a car in this class and 335 liters (11.8 cu-ft) of boot space, expandable to 1,090 liters (38.5 cu-ft) by folding down the rear seats. The premium feel expected from anything with the four-ring logo is enhanced by soft touch materials and rather good soundproofing.

Also Read: How Does The New Audi A1 Stack Up Against Its Predecessor?

On the road, you’ll have to make do with petrol engines only, as the automaker isn’t offering any diesels in Britain, while hybrids and plug-in hybrids aren’t on the list either. In the UK, you can choose between four powertrain options, called 25, 30, 35 and 40 TFSI, starting with 94 hp and ending at 197 hp. The one tested here by AutoTrader for the past six months is the 30 TFSI variant, which packs a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder turbo, making 114 hp. It’s matched to a 6-speed manual transmission and in this combo, it proves sufficient agility and refinement.

The new A1 is priced from £17,735 (equal to $21,543 / €19,291) or  £2,000 ($2,430/€2,175) more than the base Polo, whereas the tester that came in the Sport guise, with a few optional extras, cost £24,000 ($29,154 / €26,106). Looking back at it, six months after driving it constantly, was it worth it? Find out by watching the review below.