Audi A1 three-door model dropped

Audi Australia senior product communications executive Shaun Cleary told CarAdvice the market was the determining factor in the decision to drop the three-door model.

"In Australia, particularly with small hatchbacks like the A1, the versatility of five doors always wins out over three-door models," he said, reiterating that the brand had taken a similar approach with its larger A3 range, and that it won't consider offering a three-door hatchback version of that car.

The A1 range retains its $26,500 starting price for the base-model 1.2 TFSI Attraction manual model, with the current flagship A1 1.4 TFSI Sport topping the range at $39,900.

The brand will introduce a new high-performance S1 model later this year, which is expected to be priced close to $50,000.