How about that? The long awaited replacement of the Audi TT has finally made its debut today and what a looker it is! Audi first stunned the world with the TT Mk1 back in 1998 and since has sold über successfully everywhere around the world. The Mk2 has transformed the badge from a recreational sports car into a very serious performance car with the TT-RS and now, after 8 long years of production on the Mk2… the Mk3 is now here to continue the success.
Lets begin with the looks because it is oh-so stunning! Overall – the Mk3 has retained the signature roof line of the TT with a few updates on the front and rear end of the car. A side profile shot could easily be mistaken for a facelift, and this is because Audi has kept the dimensions almost similar to its predecessor, with just a 37mm extension of the wheelbase to give the Mk3 a shorter overhang. The similarities are kept to uphold the TT’s character; however the few enhancement and improvements has transformed it to be more appealing to its time.
On the performance side – Audi is introducing 2 turbocharged petrol units and a diesel to the European market. The base petrol engine is represented with a 2.0-litre TFSI engine that produces a discerning 227bhp and 370nm offered in both front-wheel drive and Quattro AWD format. The FWD will sprint from Zerotohundred in 6 seconds flat and the Quattro will do the same sprint in just 5.3 seconds (with optional S-tronic gearbox).
The more breathtaking, performance biased model that most will probably chase after is the TT-S variant. This is offered in the similar 2.0-litre TFSI unit, however it produces 80bhp more than the latter. This means 306bhp and 380nm at the disposal of its Quattro system. Zerotohundred time too is dropped to 4.7 seconds with a limited top speed of 155mph (similar to the non S model).
If fuel consumption is a concern for you – then the TDI variant is not too bad on its feet. The 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel unit produces 180bhp and will do the Zerotohundred sprint in a respectable time of 7.2 seconds. Whilst the petrol units will sprint faster, they’ll have to stop at the fuel stations more often as the diesel unit averages at a mind-boggling 67mpg or 4.2l/100km. Impressive figures!
Whilst the engines contribute to the speed of the car – Audi also mentions that the all-new TT Mk3 is a whole 90kg lighter than its predecessor, thanks to an all-new lightweight MQB derived chassis. The TT had always had the base chassis of a VW Golf, and the Mk3 continues the tradition with the shared underpinnings as the Mk7 Golf.
The news keeps on getting better! Whilst the exterior shows significant improvements from its predecessor, where the Mk3 truly shines is the absolutely breathtaking interior. It has been fully reworked and redesigned, centred towards the driver’s enjoyment and pleasure at the wheel of the car. No doubt that it is distinguishably Audi, packed with high quality features and looks that the German car maker has always offered in their models.
The new interior seemingly features less distractions than before, however now hidden to give a better focus on the wheel. The most significant innovation on the interior is the new digitalised cluster which is a first on an Audi production model. Kudos Audi!
More updates soon from Audi in Geneva, but the TT Mk3 is shaping up to be a lot more promising than we expected. These updates and improvements mean that we will very likely be seeing an increasing number of TTs on the roads sooner or later. No word yet on when production will begin, but we reckon somewhere between Q2 and Q3 this year.
