No successor for Audi A1 planned as Euro emissions targets make costs too high

Europe's ever-tightening net of emissions regulations have led to the demise of the Audi A1 as the German marque admitted it is not planning a successor beyond the current generation model.

Launched in 2010, the A1 joined Audi's line-up as the smallest car in its range, available as a three-door or five-door hatch with a range of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines powering it, undergoing an update in 2018 to the newer MQB platform and diesel power dropped.

As Audi prepares to wind up internal combustion engine (ICE) production by 2025, its move to electric-only powertrains has signalled the death of the A1, with CEO Markus Duesmann saying there are no plans to bring in a successor, despite earlier speculation around reviving the A2 as an EV.

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Speaking to Automotive News, Duesmann explained the reasoning behind the A1 being phased out but didn't give away when it would be dropped from the model line-up.

“A lot will depend on the final Euro 7 (emissions) target," said Duesmann.

"We know offering combustion engines in the smaller segments in the future will be pretty difficult because the costs will go up. Therefore, we won't have a successor to the A1.

"If the new Euro 7 rules are not too harsh, it will allow us to invest more in e-mobility.”

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Audi sold just 504 A1s in Australia last year in an overall difficult 12 months for the motor industry, rebounding in the first half of 2021 to post 411 sales to the end of June, a 50 per cent increase over the same point in 2020.

With a move to releasing only EV models from 2026, Audi is set to debut three of its Sphere concept cars in the coming months.