Carmakers are getting ever more devious with their advertising, stretching out new-model debuts for weeks with dribbled tidbits of information and half-caught glimpses of the car itself. Audi is turning out to be a master of this art with the new A1. Today, we get a tiny taste for the front end of the newest tiny premium car from Audi.

The Audi A1's headlights will feature standard LED daytime running lights--a feature that stands out on the road even amidst the hustle of the big city. And along with the 2011 A1's headlights, we get a shady idea of the A1's front end as well. The changes from previous concept designs are obvious, made to conform to Audi's latest production headlight design theme, rather than the angular--and probably impractical--designs of the concepts.

What we can see of the car in the dimly-lit background of the video reveals its general proportions. With the rounded-rectangle cutout for the standard Audi grille, black lower fascia elements to house air intakes and fog lights, a relatively tall, upright stance and darker-than-body-color mirrors and A-pillars, the A1 appears to be distinctively styled, even in white.

The theme of all this bluster over the A1's debut is to emphasize the car's premium character, perhaps an admission on Audi's part that it will have some work to do in overcoming conflated perceptions of size and quality.

For a closer look at the coming Audi A1, check out our previous story here. And stay tuned for even more details as the car's February 6th online unveiling draws near. Expect videos about the car's shoulder line, its premium materials and design, a look at what it's like behind the wheel and several more executives on Audi's plans for the car.

[Audi]