Available in Europe since May, the revised Audi TT is now available in South Africa. The updates bring more power, efficiency and a touch more style to the range, including the popular 2.0T FSI Coupé.

From its introduction as a concept car in 1995, and as a production car in 1998, the Audi TT’s design was regarded by many as bold, innovative, and evolutionary. The TT was largely termed as being unique and represented a departure from much of the styling that dominated the car market at that time. The second generation TT may arguably have lost some of its original appeal, but that hasn’t seemed to dampen the spirits of those cruising South Africa’s social hot spots.

The evolutionary changes for the latest TT include numerous S Line styling enhancements such as a more aggressive front bumper and air intakes, revised rear bumpers and new 17-inch alloy wheels. In addition, Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights bring the TT up-to-date with Audi’s characteristic front-end, LED-inspired, look. The radiator grille has a polished black finish with re-styled single frame and the fog lights feature a chrome ring surround.

The interior maintains the TT’s driver-orientated cockpit design combined with excellent build quality. All the essential controls fall easily to hand and the multi-function, leather covered steering wheel adds further convenience for control of the sound system – which will faithfully belt out your favourite tunes. The leather seats hold driver and passenger comfortably, but could benefit from lumbar support as we found out on longer journeys. Aluminium trim around the air vents, instrument dials and other elements, brighten what is otherwise a sophisticated but dark cabin.

With enough leg, head and shoulder room for all but the tallest of drivers, the TT wraps itself around its front passengers, with a combination of low seating position and roof line. However, despite the rear having provision for two passengers, the only likely candidates would be a pair of contortionists. Not to the same extent, but somewhat limited, is the storage space for personal items, with the glove box being your best bet as the door pockets are rather shallow. The TT’s long, glass-dominated, rear hatch, opens to reveal 290-litres of cargo space that is expandable to a practical 700-litres with the rear seats folded down. With no B-pillar, visibility to the left or right from within the coupé is surprisingly good.

Beneath the sleek sheetmetal of the bonnet lies a retuned 2.0-litre turbocharged powerplant. With the addition of Audi’s Valve-Lift System (AVS), the force-fed 2.0-litre now churns out 155 kW of peak power and 350 Nm of torque. At the same time fuel economy has been improved by 14 percent, offering an average figure of 6.6 L/100km as a real possibility. The extra 70 Nm of torque on offer translates to very swift progress on the move and, being available between 1 600 r/min and 4 200 r/min, means you very seldom need to select a lower gear, unless of course you want to have fun.

When you do use all the power – together with the short-throw, 6-speed, manual gearbox – you’re rewarded with a 0 – 100 km/h time of 6.6 seconds, although it feels slightly quicker. Heavy acceleration from a standing start results in just enough torque steer to keep the driver entertained and in-gear acceleration is nippy to say the least, with 3rd gear getting the car from 80 – 100 km/h in around 2 seconds and 100 – 120 km/h fractionally longer at almost 2.3 seconds. The TT coupe’s top speed is 245 km/h.

Being the entry-level model in the range, the TT Coupé 2.0T FSI makes do with a front-wheel drive layout (instead of Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive), which, as it turns out, isn’t all bad. The TT’s chassis is inherently well balanced and the optional 18-inch 245/40 profile tyres on our test car offered sure-footed grip. Between the S tronic gearbox and quattro drivetrain of the quattro S tronic TT model, this front-wheel drive coupé weighs 100 kilograms less – the equivalent of leaving your mother-in-law at home, although arguably not as noticable.

The TT has great road manners, apart from the run-flat tyres that undoubtedly transfer road imperfections into the cabin. It corners and changes direction well, the steering is direct and transfers the driver’s inputs accurately to the wheels. The twin-exhausts emit just enough noise to give the car some character and in the same vain, the rear spoiler, which raises automatically above 120 km/h, adds a touch of naughtiness, like a warthog with its tail in the air when its up to mischief.

But, and there is a ‘but’, the Audi TT isn’t all that entertaining to drive. Yes, it’s a uniquely styled, sporty two-door coupe, which many aspire to own, but those looking for a true sports car experience might well find it a little ‘tame’. The Audi TT performs it’s sports car duties diligently, just not exceptionally, which, then again, is also why it appeals to so many and has become the icon that it is.

What we like…

• Subtle styling tweaks, including day-time LED lights, save the TT from looking dated.
• The torque and economy of the 2.0-litre turbo’d engine.
• The sports car feel good factor.

What we would like…

• Lumbar support for the seats as standard.
• Another storage tray, it doesn’t have to be huge, just more convenient.