This takes me to the vehicle of today: the 2016 Audi TT Coupe 2.0t, which Audi provided for TechRadar’s evaluation. Audi added the Bang & Olufsen sound system, 19-inch wheels, S Sport seat package, and technology package, raising the price to $50,600 (about £45,000 when comparably equipped or AU$96,000 without extras).
The most recent TT has a similar overall shape to the Peter Schreyer-designed car from 1998, yet it is an entirely different car on the inside and exterior. The most recent model of the TT, now in its third generation, features sleeker styling that trades the bulbousness of earlier generations for sharper, angular lines.
Inside and out, Audi uses LED lighting, including the dazzling Matrix LED headlights. A concealed spoiler and sleek LED tail lights complete the rear end. For aerodynamic reasons, the spoiler automatically deploys when you reach 75 mph, however my test vehicle was missing the flux capacitor option for when you reach 88 mph.
I like how the TT looks. The style makes me think of a menacing Volkswagen Beetle, much like its wicked but a much more entertaining sibling.
The doors will automatically unlock when you reach for the door handle while holding the keyfob in your pocket. You may lock the automobile with a capacitive touch button. I prefer physical buttons over capacitive touch ones, even if they appear nicer on cars. However, it’s possible that I’m just old-fashioned and prefer my buttons to click when pressed.
Interior
Once inside, you’ll see that the interior is contemporary and driver-focused, oblivious to the existence of the passenger seat. The driver’s seat is the location of the central vents and controls. No expense was wasted; every surface is soft to the touch or covered in leather, and every switch and button has a satisfying click or turn.
Every vent of the TT is finished with a display, button, and dial to imitate the turbine of a jet engine. The center vent display controls the climate, while the peripheral ones operate the seat heaters. The vent displays serve different purposes. The fans, ambient temperature, cooling and heating modes, as well as the three levels of seat heat, are all controlled by turning the inside vent dials.
The S Sport seat kit for the TT has gorgeous diamond-stitched Nappa leather. With powerful bolsters that hold me in position during aggressive driving, sitting in it is also enjoyable. My lower back ache is also relieved by the lumbar support. I drove the TT for several hours and found the seats to be very cozy.
When you take hold of the steering wheel, you’ll see that it has a flat bottom and comfy thumb grips for driving aggressively. The infotainment system and Audi “virtual cockpit” are both controlled by a plethora of buttons on the steering wheel.
Informational system
The TT’s infotainment system, the Audi MMI Navigation Plus, is outstanding. The gauge cluster and infotainment display are both displayed on the same 12.3-inch LCD, which is the only display in the entire vehicle. Audi can construct a lower-flowing dashboard with just one LCD, which not only makes it simpler to see out of the car but also prohibits the passenger from changing the music.
There was nothing my wife could do to stop me from blaring Adele’s “Hello,” even if she didn’t like it. She was limited to watching my miserable sing-along while planning her retaliation for when we got home.
The single LCD approach is what Audi refers to as the “virtual cockpit,” and it’s the best analog gauge substitute I’ve ever used. Even better than my previous choice for form and function, the IS350 F-superb Sport’s LCD display from Lexus, it even surpasses that model.
Two animated gauges that imitate an analog tachometer and speedometer are displayed on the LCD. You can either place the gauges in the lower portion of the screen and allow the infotainment features occupy the majority of the upper portion, or you can place the gauges on the outside portions of the screen with infotainment features sandwiched between them.
Because the navigation maps are so beautiful, I favor the more technological approach and use the majority of the LCD display for infotainment purposes. Beautiful geography provided by Audi’s usage of Google Earth’s map overlays over standard maps is a strong argument for using the infotainment system rather than just depending on your phone.
The Google Earth map overlay’s drawback is that it needs a data connection, which requires a subscription after the initial three-month trial. In the US, Audi relies on AT&T’s LTE network, which worked well during my week of testing. The Audi can be added to your family sharing plan for $10 per month if you already have an AT&T subscription.
Not merely a pretty face, the Audi MMI Navigation Plus system is functional. As soon as you get the hang of it, it’s simple to use. There are two ways to operate the system: buttons on the steering wheel and a control knob that can read fingerwriting.
With toggle switches located below the shifter, the Audi control knob offers easy access to the navigation, phone, radio, and media features, and the circular surface detects drawing movements for text input. Otherwise, the steering wheel also has the other controls, like the dial, menu, and back.
It took me 20 minutes of sitting down and fiddling with the infotainment system during my time with the TT to get the hang of it. It was simple to live with once I worked out how the menus were organized. The infotainment system is fantastic for daily usage if you’re a tech buff, but I wouldn’t suggest it for your grandmother.
The system supports SiriusXM and HD Radio and features a single USB connector for audio. The CD player was removed by Audi, although it wasn’t missed at all. I listened to music on my connected iPhone 6S most of the time while subscribed to Apple Music.
Although it may not seem important, the infotainment system shows cover art, which is far more attractive than plain text. However, Audi still needs to improve the radio’s features. You have to visit sub-menus in order to set one station, therefore it takes too many button clicks to activate your presets.
It makes me long for the days of conventional radios where presets were assigned by depressing the preset number for a brief period of time. Audi allows you to blend SiriusXM and HD Radio presets, saving you the hassle of having to manually switch the radio source.
The TT infotainment system is not yet complete because Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are not supported. The 2016 Audi A4 and Q7 are compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but they also have separate infotainment screens in addition to the virtual cockpit.
I’ve had the TT for a week, and I’m still blown away with the infotainment system. Every time I get in the automobile, I’m struck by how sharply everything seems. The transitions and animations are flawless, just as I would expect from a luxury brand.
Audi Connect, which delivers weather, gas prices, travel advice, and news via the LCD gauge cluster, is one function I find difficult to understand. The ambient temperature readout and my eyes are sufficient proof of the weather to me, but maybe I’m just old-fashioned. Additionally, I always stop at the gas station that is closest to where I am going and can easily see the costs on their big signage.
I’m not even clear why you would want to read the news or need to check your travel details on the infotainment display. Since it takes far longer than pulling out my phone and viewing Google News, the in-car display is the last place I’d want to read the news.
The Bang & Olufsen (B&O) premium sound system option was selected when the Audi TT test vehicle was built. I wasn’t anticipating much from the $950 update in the TT because of my previous experience with a factory B&O system in a $116,000 Audi A8L, but I was mistaken.
The TT has 12 speakers total from Bang & Olufsen, including a 3-way front stage with separate tweeters, mids, and woofers, a 2-way center channel with a tweeter and mid, and two 2-way back speakers. I don’t miss the absence of a dedicated subwoofer, either.
A 14-channel, 680 watt digital amplifier powers all of the speakers. You may be asking why there are more amplifier channels than speakers at this point. This is due to the fact that the indoor woofers, which play all the low notes, have two voice coils to receive twice the power for powerful, thumping bass.
When I owned the TT, Lindsey Stirling was a new artist to me, so I mostly alternated between Phantom of the Opera and the Pokemon theme tune when driving. She mixes violin-based EDM, and I like the sound character of the B&O system with it. The highs are crisp and precise, the mids are warm, and the deep notes are condensed but powerful.
I varied the music by playing some Calvin Harris, David Guetta, and John Legend as well, and I was pleased with every genre of music played in the car. I don’t often say this, but I would be content with the B&O system in the TT as is, without any improvements or alterations.
Active noise cancellation (ANC), another element of the B&O system, made the TT’s interior eerily silent. When I drive a typical car that is too noisy to even have a conversation, I sometimes forget how useful ANC is. I have no issue having a normal conversation with my wife and kids in the TT.
Driving assistance
On the TT, Audi doesn’t provide many driver aids. Only a back up camera and a blind spot monitor (BSM) were installed in the evaluation vehicle. When an automobile is in your blind area, the TT’s BSM uses a brilliant cluster of LEDs located on the side mirrors to flash bright orange. The interior mirror housing, not the mirror itself, is where the LEDs are mounted.
As long as the BSM indication is visible and bright enough to capture my attention, I don’t care where it is placed. Unless you choose to forgo using your mirrors, the TT’s BSM has no issues with that portion and is difficult to miss.
It takes some getting used to the backup camera in the TT. The infotainment system display positioned high and in the center of the dashboard is where I’m used to seeing backup camera images, but the TT sends the video feed to the LCD gauge cluster. At first, it feels strange to backup the car while looking down at the gauge cluster, but I quickly got used to it.
Unfortunately, lane keep assist, automated emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control (ACC) are not offered. The TT would be the perfect vehicle to go in with your significant other, therefore I would have enjoyed adaptive cruise control. I enjoy driving, but there are a lot of monotonous parts of lengthy drives that are easier to handle with ACC, especially in city traffic.
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