New High Tech Audi TT Heads for the UK

It may not be here until December, but the all-new Audi TT has already been described as “automotive supercomputer meets state-of-the-art sports car.”

Unmistakably TT yet unmistakably contemporary, the third-generation Audi TT surrounds its stunning all-digital virtual cockpit and advanced new chassis with a simply beautiful new body that also sets a superb standard when it comes to performance and efficiency  with fuel efficiency approaching 67mpg and CO2 emissions just 110g/km.  

At UK launch there will be two specification levels – Sport and S line – both of which feature the Audi virtual cockpit, which replaces the traditional analogue dials and comprises of a 12.3” high resolution LCD display that completely fills the driver’s instrument binnacle. With the display, drivers have a choice the classic mode where the speedometer and rev counter are in the foreground, and infotainment mode where the virtual instruments are smaller leaving room for other displays such as the navigation map and suchlike. Always visible are displays for outside temperature, time and mileage at the bottom of the screen where the warning or information symbols are also displayed.

Also part of the Sports model’s technologically brilliant interior is the Multi Media Interface with the MMI touch pad for fingertip data entry, navigation preparation, Audi Music Interface and Bluetooth connectivity, the Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system and keyless go – the very latest in technological innovation in a nutshell – and you’ll also find comforts as standard such as the Alcantara and leather combination upholstery for the standard sports seats and manual air conditioning with controls integrated into the air vents.

And then there is the outside of the new Audi TT

Do 18-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, sports suspension, xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights and a speed-dependent active rear spoiler as standard do it for you?

If not, then you are one hard taskmaster/taskmistress and maybe you should be looking at the S line specification which adds in larger 19-inch alloy wheels with a five-arm star design, all-weather LED headlights and LED tail lights with a directional sweeping function and S line body styling.

More? Then the options list is for you with the Technology Package which is a pathway to even more wonders in the virtual cockpit including hard disk-based navigation mapping that can completely fill the 12.3-inch TFT monitor, and also beams the Internet to the car via Audi connect, bringing Google Maps, Google Street View, Audi traffic information online, price-graded refuelling locations in the vicinity and the latest news, flight and train information to your cockpit. It also gets you on to the Audi music stream (which you can enjoy on a 680-watt, twelve-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system if specified) and allows access to social media services such as Facebook and Twitter.

When it comes to looking good then the range of nine paint colour options for Sport models that includes two shades new to the Audi range – Tango Red and Nano Grey – is for you. And if you want an extra colour on the S Line then there’s Daytona Grey.

A sports car for everyday use

With 2 seats front AND rear, the all-new Audi TT  is a sports car that is also there for everyday use with an increased load area capacity greater than its predecessor (that can be increased by folding rear seats down to 712 litres.)

Using advanced Audi Space Frame composite construction, which blends steel and aluminium as a team, the new car is lighter than ever before when it comes to the 2.0-litre TFSI model (one of the two technologically advanced engines available at launch) thus ensuring an increase in fuel economy too!

The 2.0 litre engine is EU6-compliant and the four-cylinder unit “combines direct and indirect fuel injection for optimal combustion and the Audi valvelift system (AVS) for precise valve stroke control on the exhaust side and thermal management.” – and when the high-tech unit is combined with either the front-wheel-drive of the six-speed manual gearbox or the quattro all-wheel-drive and a six-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission, that’s when impressive figures appear. Developing peak torque of 370 Nm from 1,600 to 4,300 rpm, acceleration from 0-62mph is possible in 6.0 seconds right up to a 155mph top speed, yet it still achieves some credible fuel economy figures (47.9mpg) and CO2 emissions too (137g/km.)

Using the six-speed S tronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive, acceleration is reduced in time to 5.3 seconds, combined economy tops out at 44.1mpg and CO2 emissions 149 g per km.

When we look at the second engine option in the shape of the 2.0 TDI – which powers the exclusively front-wheel-driven and six-speed manual-equipped ultra model – acceleration time is slightly longer at 7.1 seconds to a top speed of 150mph, but fuel economy increases to 67.3mpg according to the combined cycle test, and CO2 emissions fall to a new record low level in the sports car world of 110 g/km,.

You’ll also need to know that settings can be customised with Comfort, Dynamic, Efficiency, Individual and Auto modes available.

As well as Electronic stabilisation control (ESC) being standard in all new Audi TTs, but there is also a whole host of advanced electronic aids including rear-mounted radar sensors to help drivers change lane more safely; camera-based traffic sign recognition to warn drivers of speed limits even when temporary; a park assist system; the Audi pre sense basic safety system that takes protective action such as closing the windows and tensioning the seatbelts if sensors detect an impending collision; and Audi active lane assist to either correct steering or warn drivers of unintentional lane drifting (standard for the 2.0 TFSI model and optional for the 2.0 TDI ultra.)

The all-new Audi TT Coupe is open for orders right now.