The new A1 Sportback received a warm, or should I say, cool welcome at The Rink.

Audi's A1 premium subcompact is now exclusively available as a five-door Sportback. Launched on ice at The Rink this evening, the new car is longer and offers more space, while striking a good balance of sporty and modern styling. This is ironically achieved by borrowing design cues from the Ur-Quattro and Quattro Sport from the '80s, just like the Q2 did as well.

The chunky but handsome front end even features three flat bonnet slits above the grille, which pay homage to the Audi rally machine of yesteryear.

Inside, a fully digital instrument cluster with a high-resolution, 10.25-inch display and a multifunction steering wheel comes as standard. In addition, local cars will also include Audi's virtual cockpit, along with drive select, Hill Start Assist, smartphone interface and more.

The initial cars will pack a small but punchy engine (on paper). A three-cylinder 1.0-litre unit with 116 bhp and 200 Nm of torque will enable the hatchback to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 9.4 seconds, via a 7-speed S-tronic gearbox. List price is at $114,999 and will hover in that range depending on COE.