Review
Replacing the original TT was never going to be easy, but with the second generation model Audi has delivered a car that's better in every regard.
Not that everyone is going to like the new car's styling as much as the original. It's now wider, lower and more streamlined, with details like the original TT-style front wheelarch looking a bit incongruous. But the overall effect is undeniably handsome - this is a car with the capacity to turn heads.
The cabin is well designed, constructed from high-quality materials and spacious compared to rivals. Both driver and front seat passenger get to sit in comfort, and although the rear seats are relatively cramped, they serve to distinguish the Audi from the resolutely two-seater competition. The hatchback tailgate gives access to a surprisingly spacious boot, too.
On the road the TT has lost the slight vagueness which made its predecessor a less than scintillating driver's car. The steering is brilliant, grip levels are impressively high and the car is happy to vary its cornering line according to throttle input. It's refined and comfortable at motorway cruising speeds, too. The only significant gripe is a hard-edged quality to the ride over urban bumps.
Two engines are available from launch. The entry level 2.0 litre TFSI turbocharged four-cylinder motor gives plenty of performance thanks to its keen mid-range responses. It's good enough to mostly negate the point of going for the more expensive 3.2 litre V6 version, which is only slightly quicker and suffers from a disappointingly muted soundtrack. That said, only buyers who pick the bigger engine will get the benefits of Quattro four-wheel drive at present - although a 2.0 TFSI Quattro will follow later.