ROAD TEST:
Audi TT Coupe 2.0T quattro
Johannesburg - The Audi TT’s shape isn’t as iconic as, say, the Eiffel Tower, the Porsche 911 or Pamela Anderson’s chest, but still pretty prominent in the list of instantly-recognisable designs.
The trick with such a classic shape, much as Porsche has experienced with the 911, is to retain the feel and spirit of the original when styling its successor, and the recently-launched third-generation TT still displays a clear lineage to its 1998 grandaddy even though it’s been thoroughly modernised to better fit today’s styling memes.
The lines are now distinctly more chiselled and geometric, and there are cool details like vertical LED headlights and the capless refuelling system which are inspired by the R18 e-tron Le Mans racing car.
The new coupé has a more slippery drag coefficient but the original TT’s prominent arches are still there along with the distinctive dome-like roof curvature.
All the stuff underneath has been upgraded to make it a better driver’s car, including more aluminium in the body for a 50kg weight reduction, a lengthened wheelbase for more handling stability, and a lowered centre of gravity along with improved torsional rigidity.
MINIMALISTIC CABIN
The interior, as usual with Audi, uses top-notch materials and neat finishes. It also continues the German carmaker’s new clean and minimalistic theme. Instead of the dash being cluttered with buttons like an Airbus cockpit, control of most of the infotainment functions is bundled into a large knob between the front seats called an MMI controller, which is easy and intuitive to use.
It’s all displayed on a digital instrument panel in front of the driver which Audi calls the virtual cockpit. There are no mechanical gauges and even the speedo and rev counter are digital. The virtual cockpit can be customised so that the gauges are normal-sized, or shrunk against a panoramic navigation map that stretches across the whole instrument panel.
It’s all very “Star Wars” and looks great, although it’s very driver-focussed and the passenger doesn’t get to play with any of the onboard toys.
The ventilation system’s a clever design highlight, with the digital readouts integrated into the air-vent knobs.
As before there’s emergency seating room only in the cramped rear seats, but the boot’s grown by 13 litres to 305 litres and expands to a useful 712 litres with the rear seats folded down.
DECENT PERFORMER
The new TT coupé is available for now in either front-wheel drive or quattro with just one engine: a 2-litre turbo petrol with outputs of 169kW and 370Nm. In the next couple of months it will be joined by the 228kW TTS quattro model, while an even more powerful TTR version will join the range eventually.
This 169kW quattro version doesn’t go overboard with excitement but has decent performance for its R642 000 pricetag, which is relatively affordable for a sportscar.
It has a lively and linear power delivery and the turbo spools up quickly, without any annoying lag. Only available as a six-speed S tronic automatic, the car features a launch-control system which hikes the engine revs while you hold the brake with your left foot.
Release the brake and the TT quattro will scramble to 100km/h in a swift 5.8 seconds, as tested by us at Gauteng altitude (the factory claims 5.3 seconds at sea level).
JUST GRIPS AND GOES
With the all-wheel drive it’s a fuss-free leap from the starting line, with no wheelspin or torque steer for the driver to contend with. It just grips and goes, delivering sub six-second sprints with no drama. Top speed is 250km/h.
The dual-clutch auto transmission has sport and economy modes, and the driver can hike up the fun factor with Audi Drive Select that changes the throttle, transmission and steering settings to suit their driving mood.
Audis can sometimes be a little sanitised – even the high-performance ones – and the TT’s engine itself sounds like a sewing machine, but audible charm is provided by the loud exhaust “burp” during gearshifts, especially noticeable in the Sport mode. The car’s speakers also produce a heartbeat sound when you switch off the ignition.
Audi quotes a town/freeway fuel consumption average of 6.4 litres per 100km, and our test car managed 8.4 litres per 100km which is still pretty economical as this included high-performance testing.
COMPOSED BUT FIRM
The quattro drive delivers safe handling in dry or wet conditions and, combined with stability control and ABS brakes, it takes very unruly driving behaviour to unsettle this TT’s roadholding composure. Corners can be attacked with a lot of vigour before the tyres start squealing, and when they do lose adhesion it’s safe and predictable understeer that occurs on the limits. Audi says the quattro system’s rear-biased but the car doesn’t display any drifting tendencies, certainly not with this level of power.
The TT loves the corners at the cost of a firm ride. Over bumps the car doesn’t feel as polished as the just-as-sharp-handling Porsche Cayman, and the ride feels especially jarring with the optional low-profile 19” tyres that were fitted to our test car. Those bigger wheels may look great in a parking-lot parade but they’re not very practical in real-world driving. Stick to the standard higher-profile 18s, is my advice. They’ll cope better with speedhumps and potholes.
VERDICT
The third-generation TT stays true to the spirit and styling of its forerunners, in a more driver-focussed car that comes with some appealing high-tech.
The handling finesse does come at the cost of a harder-than-necessary ride, however. -Star Motoring
FACTS
Audi TT Coupe 2.0T quattro
Engine: Two-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol
Gearbox: Six-speed S tronic
Power: 169kW @ 4500-6200rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1600-4300rpm
0-100km/h (tested, Gauteng): 5.8 seconds
Top speed (claimed): 250km/h
Fuel use (claimed, overall): 6.4 litres per 100km
Fuel use (tested, overall): 8.4 litres per 100km
Price: R642 000
Warranty: One-year/unlimited distance
Maintenance plan: Five-year/100 000km