As fellow enthusiasts might know, the new Audi TT was launched here in Malaysia yesterday. Today, I was given an opportunity to take it out for a run.
In Malaysia, only the 2.0 TFSI S-Tronic is available, because apparently the price of the 3.2 V6 version would be too high. From what I read, the only differences between the 3.2 V6 and the 2.0 TFSI would be the 18" rims (17" on 2.0), Quattro system (FWD on 2.0), full leather interior (half-leather seats for 2.0) and of course, the weight, 14xx kg for the 3.2 and 12xx kg for the 2.0T.
The 2.0 TFSI engine and 6-speed DSG Gearbox (called S-Tronic in the TT) are directly lifted from the VW Golf GTi, which I also test drove earlier in the year. The 2.0 TFSI engine is capable of propelling the TT from 0 to 100km/h in 6.4 seconds.
I won't comment much on the exterior and interior, as pictures are easily available through Google and taste may differ from person to person. I love the way the car looks. The old TT was more of a woman's car, and in Europe, most of the drivers were women. The new TT has gotten rid of the label, and with all the gizmos plucked in the car, it is truly a masculine driver's car. Interior build quality is superb, as expected from Audi.
As I mentioned earlier, the TT is a true masculine driver's car. The ride and handling of the car is just awesome. Nothing short of it. As you sit in the driver's sit, you are greeted by a typical Audi-style dashboard, and the sawn-off steering. Put the gearknob in 'D', and gently press the accelerator, the car gently obliges.
With 240Nm of torque available, acceleration is super. Gearshifts, as expected from the DSG gearbox, is super smooth and can hardly be felt unless if you pay attention to the engine revs and the clutch sound.
The greatest bit of the car, however, is Audi's new active suspension, called the Magnetic Ride. The suspension is electromagnetically controlled, and as you reach a certain speed, the spoiler of the car automatically comes out to reduce the drag coefficient, and the electromagnetic suspension tightens up. I could really feel the substantial increase in the stiffness of the suspension. Throw it around corners at that speed, and you won't feel anything. The car obliges and effortlessly does it to your liking. Decelerate to speeds below 80km/h, and after awhile, the spoiler retracts back into its housing, and the suspension loosens up again. Putting the gearknob into the 'traction' mode (I think) automatically makes the car rev up higher and remains in the gear longer, to further enhance the handling. As for steering weight, I personally found the Golf GTi too light, but the Audi TT's weight is just perfect. It's just slightly lighter than the Satria Neo, but definitely hits my sweet spot.
(edit: Apparently the Malaysian version of the TT doesn't come with the active suspension, it wasn't mentioned in the brochure. So maybe what I felt was the the sheer increase in downforce created by the deployment of the spoiler and engine braking? I wasn't driving when the spoiler deployed. Hmm. My apologies for being misleading. However that's how the active suspension works though, in a nutshell.)
The Audi TT also has a feature called the launch control, which allows you to rev up the car at rest and immediately propel it without losing control. It's nothing much but a novelty and showoff feature, in my opinion. Not something that I wanna do at every traffic light. The poor DSG gearbox will suffer.
NVH levels were much, much better than the Golf GTi. The thunderous sound of the TFSI engine was not very evident in the TT. It also feels much more secure due to its lower ride height.
I don't think I have to state the obvious, the car, being a 2-door car, is very cramped at the back. If you think my Satria Neo's back space was bad, wait till you sit in the TT's back. Somebody my height cannot even fit in. Only a 12-year old can fit and sit at the back comfortably. Boot space is so-so for a 2-door. But like what my dad always tells me, who cares about all these things when you're buying a 2-door? If your passengers don't like it, don't ride it then! ;p
Gosh, I'm still feeling the excitement from it.
In Malaysia, only the 2.0 TFSI S-Tronic is available, because apparently the price of the 3.2 V6 version would be too high. From what I read, the only differences between the 3.2 V6 and the 2.0 TFSI would be the 18" rims (17" on 2.0), Quattro system (FWD on 2.0), full leather interior (half-leather seats for 2.0) and of course, the weight, 14xx kg for the 3.2 and 12xx kg for the 2.0T.
The 2.0 TFSI engine and 6-speed DSG Gearbox (called S-Tronic in the TT) are directly lifted from the VW Golf GTi, which I also test drove earlier in the year. The 2.0 TFSI engine is capable of propelling the TT from 0 to 100km/h in 6.4 seconds.
I won't comment much on the exterior and interior, as pictures are easily available through Google and taste may differ from person to person. I love the way the car looks. The old TT was more of a woman's car, and in Europe, most of the drivers were women. The new TT has gotten rid of the label, and with all the gizmos plucked in the car, it is truly a masculine driver's car. Interior build quality is superb, as expected from Audi.
As I mentioned earlier, the TT is a true masculine driver's car. The ride and handling of the car is just awesome. Nothing short of it. As you sit in the driver's sit, you are greeted by a typical Audi-style dashboard, and the sawn-off steering. Put the gearknob in 'D', and gently press the accelerator, the car gently obliges.
With 240Nm of torque available, acceleration is super. Gearshifts, as expected from the DSG gearbox, is super smooth and can hardly be felt unless if you pay attention to the engine revs and the clutch sound.
The greatest bit of the car, however, is Audi's new active suspension, called the Magnetic Ride. The suspension is electromagnetically controlled, and as you reach a certain speed, the spoiler of the car automatically comes out to reduce the drag coefficient, and the electromagnetic suspension tightens up. I could really feel the substantial increase in the stiffness of the suspension. Throw it around corners at that speed, and you won't feel anything. The car obliges and effortlessly does it to your liking. Decelerate to speeds below 80km/h, and after awhile, the spoiler retracts back into its housing, and the suspension loosens up again. Putting the gearknob into the 'traction' mode (I think) automatically makes the car rev up higher and remains in the gear longer, to further enhance the handling. As for steering weight, I personally found the Golf GTi too light, but the Audi TT's weight is just perfect. It's just slightly lighter than the Satria Neo, but definitely hits my sweet spot.
(edit: Apparently the Malaysian version of the TT doesn't come with the active suspension, it wasn't mentioned in the brochure. So maybe what I felt was the the sheer increase in downforce created by the deployment of the spoiler and engine braking? I wasn't driving when the spoiler deployed. Hmm. My apologies for being misleading. However that's how the active suspension works though, in a nutshell.)
The Audi TT also has a feature called the launch control, which allows you to rev up the car at rest and immediately propel it without losing control. It's nothing much but a novelty and showoff feature, in my opinion. Not something that I wanna do at every traffic light. The poor DSG gearbox will suffer.
NVH levels were much, much better than the Golf GTi. The thunderous sound of the TFSI engine was not very evident in the TT. It also feels much more secure due to its lower ride height.
I don't think I have to state the obvious, the car, being a 2-door car, is very cramped at the back. If you think my Satria Neo's back space was bad, wait till you sit in the TT's back. Somebody my height cannot even fit in. Only a 12-year old can fit and sit at the back comfortably. Boot space is so-so for a 2-door. But like what my dad always tells me, who cares about all these things when you're buying a 2-door? If your passengers don't like it, don't ride it then! ;p
Gosh, I'm still feeling the excitement from it.
