Geneva Motor Show: Audi unveils edgier new TT and TTS coupes
Seeking to recapture the design chutzpah of the original TT coupe, Audi unveiled the all-new third-generation model Monday night ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut.
This compact, two-door sports car was first introduced in 1998, and its simple geometric curves won Audi and its designers plenty of accolades. Yet the second-generation released in 2007 fell victim to a more watered-down look that matched its watered-down performance.
Sales were correspondingly weak: Audi sold just 2,053 TT models in the United States in 2013, down from 2,226 the previous year. For 2015, Audi hopes to course-correct both shortcomings and reinvigorate its image.
PHOTOS: Audi unveils new TT Coupe
The new car -- officially unveiled Tuesday in Geneva -- retains the hatchback body style and sloping roofline of its predecessors. But the front and rear clips have been sharpened with more aggressive angles and shapes to pull Audi’s look firmly into the 21st century.
The new TT is essentially the same length, but its wheelbase has been stretched nearly 1.5 inches for a more planted grip on the road. The car is 110 pounds lighter than the previous model, thanks in large part to more high-strength steel and aluminum in the frame and body.
The base TT will continue to use a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. Horsepower rises to 230 from 211, while torque jumps to 273 pound-feet from 258 pound-feet. Audi says the car will scoot from zero to 62 mph in 5.3 seconds.
PHOTOS: Highlights of the 2014 Geneva Motor Show
The more spicy TTS will use the same engine tuned for greater power (310 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque), helping it dash from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, Audi said.
A diesel model will available in Europe and other markets, but don’t get your hopes up for that model landing on our shores. Same for the manual transmission and front-wheel-drive versions; expect only Quattro all-wheel-drive and a six-speed, dual-clutch, automated manual transmission.
Inside the new TT, the driver and passenger face a rethought interior with conspicuously simplified dashboard. A majority of the buttons and displays have been eliminated in favor of a large, configurable digital instrument panel for the driver that’s controlled by buttons on the steering wheel and a rotary knob on the center console. The remaining few climate control buttons have been integrated into the air vents.
Audi has not confirmed exactly when this new TT will go on sale, saying only that it will be sometime in 2015. A convertible version will probably follow that. Expect pricing for the base TT coupe to be similar to that of the current version, which starts at about $41,000.
ALSO:
Museum recovers three of eight Corvettes swallowed by sinkhole
Geneva Motor Show: Jeep debuts all-new Renegade crossover SUV
Geneva Motor Show: Maserati debuts Alfieri concept, hinting at future
