- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
210kW, 380Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 6.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2015 Audi TT S First Drive review
Few cars shifted brand perceptions like the original Audi TT.
Introduced in the late 1990s, the Golf-based coupe shattered notions of what Audi stood for, introducing world-class design that established the German brand as a style leader.
Now on its third generation, the TT has taken on a sportier character fitting sharper looks. The new TT S tested here is the sportiest variant of the new breed for now, adding power and poise in a bid to transform the style icon into a genuine performance car.
Priced from $99,900 (plus on-road costs) in 2+2-seat coupe form or $103,900 as a two-seat roadster, this is not a cheap car.
Audi says TT S buyers are likely to be wealthy urbanites with an eye for design, performance and innovation. Those three pillars form the core of the sportster's appeal.
Let's start with the looks.
The new TT has an edgier, more aggressive style shared with the latest R8 supercar.
This sporting version sits 10mm lower than the regular TT, looking purposeful on 19-inch wheels framed by reprofiled front and rear bumpers that offer extra ventilation along with pumped-up side skirts and a sporty new exhaust with quad tips.
The treatment works well in person, balancing style and aggression in a package that looks taut and tuned, yet unmistakeable as Audi's champion of design.
It's a little dearer than the previous model, a fact Audi defends by pointing out $12,000 in added equipment not present in its predecessor.
Standard kit in the latest TTS includes sat nav, variable magnetic suspension, smart keys, a digital radio and more. A rather limited safety suite for a six-figure car takes in front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and active lane assistance, though customers can build on that with optional extras.
Our test car's S Performance pack brought 19-inch alloys, matrix beam LED headlights, red brake callipers, a Bang & Olufsen stereo and Nappa leather trim for an additional $6300. On the bling side, an $1100 black high gloss exterior page replaced silver elements on its bodywork, and Vegas yellow paint costs an extra $700.
The TT has always looked stunning inside and out, a trait that hasn't changed in the latest model.
Though the original car's iconic "baseball glove" seats have been replaced by sporty items trimmed in Nappa leather embossed with "TTS" logos, new jet-look air vents with digital readout at their core pay tribute to the circular cabin theme of the first-generation TT.
The upmarket version here has a thick TT S-specific steering wheel that joins sporting badges throughout the cabin.
Gadgets are kept fresh through twin USB ports that allow access to a genuinely special driver-focused display.
The TT goes against the trend for large touchscreen or tablet-style displays by offering all information in a highly customisable and utterly brilliant driver's digital instrument cluster. Able to display mapping, infotainment, vehicle figures and more, this model has a new TT S-specific mode that includes a large, Lamborghini-esque central tachometer, speed and gear display flanked by new read outs for engine temperature and turbo boost.
Though the style and tech bases are neatly covered by the standard TT, the S-model here builds on that car's performance with a handy dollop of extra power, with 210kW and 380Nm outputs that outgun the standard car's 169kW and 370Nm.
The car's 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine is available with one transmission - Audi's well-proven six-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic automatic - that pushes power to all four wheels through a variable drive setup.
It reaches 100km/h in 4.7 seconds – 0.6 seconds sooner than the outgoing model, a figure made more impressive by fuel use that improved by 0.9 litres to 6.8L/100km in the new coupe.
The TTS feels pleasantly punchy, with linear torque delivery that makes for effortless progress.
Tractable in every gear, the Audi's turbo four is rapid enough to put your licence at risk, though it goes about its business in an unremarkable manner.
It punctuates upshifts with an exhaust burp familiar to anyone who has driven a sporting four-cylinder model offered by Audi, Volkswagen or Skoda in the last decade.
Sharing its driveline fundamentals with the previous TT - along with cousins such as the Volkswagen Golf R and Audi S3 - the TT S driveline lacks a character of its own.
Audi attempted to address the shortfall in drama with an artificially augmented engine note that sounds unnatural. Attacking a series of corners brings a similar sensation.
The model has an updated all-wheel-drive system that, while fundamentally biased toward front-wheel-drive, shuffles power to the rear as required. It doesn't offer the predictable traction of something like a Subaru WRX, instead making adjustments to the delivery of power as its programming deems appropriate.
This doesn't feel like an all-wheel-drive car, relying on front Hankooks more than a balanced rear-wheel-drive rival might.
Yet the Audi is flattering to drive at speed, keying into the road nicely with secure if not thrilling dynamics. Its variable-ratio steering takes time to get used to and the coupe's ride is quite busy in dynamic mode – so much so that Audi's driving instructors strongly suggested we choose a comfort setting for the standard-fit magnetically adjustable shock absorbers for a blast on smooth closed roads in the Victorian alpine region.
A brisk descent of Lake Mountain without fear of oncoming traffic – or the highway patrol – found the TT S' upsized 338 millimetre front discs with four-piston callipers were strong in the 1385 kilogram coupe but a little mushy on an 85 kilogram-heavier roadster that reacted to wheel and pedal inputs with less immediacy.
Though it offers enough poise to please the majority of owners, the TTS falls short of dynamic benchmarks.
The roadster is priced just $800 short of Porsche's entry-level Boxster, while the $109,900 asking price of the yellow car seen here is more than that marque's Cayman Coupe – cars that both offer more for enthusiasts than Audi's latest machine.
But that's not the point.
The TT S is not here to be the last word in lap times or driving dynamics – it is a product that blends design, technology and performance like few other machines on the road.
Those who want to savour the TT's best elements - style, tech and user-friendliness – can save $27,000 by going with the base coupe. Drivers keen for quattro dynamics and more than 200kW of dual-clutch turbo punch can also get hold of an Audi S3 – or Volkswagen's Golf R – for much less than the car pictured here.
But picky pilots looking to combine pace, style and innovation will settle for nothing less than the TTS.
2015 Audi TTS Pricing and specifications
Price: From $99,900 (coupe), $103,900 (roadster) plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
Power: 210kW at 5300-6200rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 1800-5200rpm
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch auto, all-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 6.8L/100km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 4.7s, 250km/h (limited)