Audi TT Coupé 2.0 FSI Quattro S Tronic

The Emotional Choice

Sometimes a car comes your way that is so sublime, writing about it can be quite challenging. How do you critique something that has no faults? The latest generation Audi TT is such a car.

Just as Baby Bear’s bowl of porridge, chair and bed were to Goldilocks, is how pleasantly perfect the Audi TT Coupé 2.0 T FSI Quattro S Tronic (R 642 000) is to me.

Let’s Tango, Baby

When I collected the TT in Cape Town, I didn’t expect her to be red – my favourite colour. In my opinion, a sexy sports car should be red. And the TT looks fantastic in this “Tango Red”. I walked around the TT to open the boot so I could safely stow my laptop, and wow! There is some serious space back there. The boot is shallow, but rather long. I was already impressed and I hadn’t even stepped inside.

Zen interior

The designers at Audi have done a stellar job at the clean, elegant interior. It evokes a feeling of sophisticated tranquility and there’s hardly a button in sight. Every plastic surface, every dial and every piece of brushed aluminium, feels premium. I’m sure some folks may say that the interior is too clinical, but with our daily lives being so chaotic and cluttered, a little minimalism goes a long way in preserving one’s sanity.

The centre console, which houses the 6-speed S-tronic gearbox, and the rotary dial (with touchpad) for the MMI infotainment system, is surrounded with realistic faux carbon fibre, with matching accents in the doors. But instead of a screen popping out of the centre dashboard, the MMI navigation Plus system forms part of what Audi calls the “virtual cockpit”: The deeply recessed instrument binnacle is all digital, with the satnav, sound, Drive Mode Select and telephone options all displayed between the digital speedometer and rev counter. These two can also be resized with the touch of a button, in order to see the MMI system’s graphics better. The screen’s resolution is crystal clear, and options can be selected via the rotary dial underneath the gear lever, or the satellite controls on the steering wheel. Both ways to access this are equally user-friendly. You can also give the system voice commands, and I nearly fell out of the window with surprise, when the system deciphered an Afrikaans name, and continued to call the lady in question. Getting voice activation right is something to get excited about all on its own.

When you close the door and start the engine, it is very easy to feel at complete peace with the world, like you’re safely tucked away in your own personal cocoon of calm. The driving position is low, as you’d expect in a coupé, but I found it very easy to adjust my seat to be just right. The flat-bottomed steering wheel is relatively small and very sporty. The TT’s steering itself is just as I like it, quite stiff, nicely weighted and very direct and responsive. Flappy paddles behind the wheel can be used for manual driving, and make a satisfyingly classy ‘click’ when pulled.

Aural Enhancement

The engine in the TT is the trusty turbocharged 2.0 litre T FSI powerplant, also seen in the VW Golf GTI with which it also shares its MQB platform.  The all-wheel drive Quattro variant is mated with a dual-clutch auto transmission that slices through the six gears with seamless, silent efficiency and lightning speed. But it is the sound that the engine makes as you’re giving it full throttle, that’s sensational. Sure, it has been augmented to sound like it’s a majestic, naturally aspirated powertrain. In other words, it’s not real. But a good synthesized exhaust note is like a pair of good breast implants. Who cares if it’s real or not, if it looks good?

Zest for life

The turbocharged engine’s 169 kW and 370 Nm of torque will give you a welcome kick in the rear if you decide to flatten your foot against the stylish aluminium sports pedals. Zero to a hundred km is reached in a pulse-quickening 5.3 seconds and will top out at an electrically governed 250 km/h. But who in their right mind is going to drive that fast, because you will go to jail for it. So as you go around the bends with death-defying composure and you’re listening to that engine soundtrack, that sense of calm is replaced with a feeling of joyful adrenalin.

People Pleaser

Thus, everything is how I like it, and I’m left wondering whether someone on the Audi design team knows me, and secretly loves me. Because this car seems to have been built with my exact specifications in mind. It’s an excellent performer, but it’s not too hard to cause me discomfort. It’s quite forgiving if I enter a corner a little fast, and with regards to convenience, nothing has been overlooked. It locks itself when I walk away from it and unlocks when I grasp the door handle, so the beautifully designed key fob stays safely in my handbag at all times. The TT can even fit my six year old son in the back, if the passenger seat is moved slightly forward. As for luggage space, four overnight bags or two medium sized suitcases will easily be able to accompany the lucky owner and his/her other half on their journey. Another highlight in this particular TT is the optional Bang & Olufsen sound system    (R 8 800) that makes any music, even the awful stuff, come alive. Our test model also had intelligent Matrix LED headlamps with selective illumination and auto-dipping function, Park Assist with autonomous parking (R 14 760), Active Lane assist (R 7 470) to keep you nicely in your lane, and a lot of standard safety kit too, like the usual ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, stability and traction control, as well as 6 airbags.

A full-blooded sports car

The outstanding Audi TT has truly shaken its image as a hairdresser’s car, and it is with great regret that I handed the car key back. Now I’ll just have to wait impatiently for the even more sporty Audi TTS to launch.

Facts & Figures

Price	:  R 642 000
Engine	: four-cylinder, 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol
Gearbox	: 6 speed S Tronic
Power	: 169 kW
Torque	: 370Nm
Top speed	: 250 km/h
0 to 100 km/h	: 5.3 sec.
Fuel tank	: 55 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: About 8 – 10.2 litres per 100 km’s (combined)
Boot size	: 305 litres
Warranty	: I year unlimited, 5 year / 100 000 km freeway (maintenance) plan.
Also consider	: The front-wheel drive Audi TT 2.0 T FSI, at R558 000 is just as good!

For a full list of specifications, please go to

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