Brief test: Audi TT Coupe 2.0 TDI ultra
In '18, when raced in the R2012 Ultra (it was Audi's last all-diesel car without a hybrid transmission), it represented not only speed, but also excellence in fuel economy, which is as important as performance in inertia racing. Those who have to go to the refueling pits less often spend more time on the track - and therefore faster. Everything is simple, right? Of course, even then it was clear that Audi did not just invent the Ultra label for the car.
Just as Audi's production electric and plug-in hybrid models carry the e-tron designation, which goes hand in hand with the R18 hybrid racing designation, their low-fuel diesel models have received the Ultra designation. So don't be fooled by the Ultra label on behalf of the test TT: it's not a particularly slow version of the TT, it's just a TT that successfully combines performance with lower power consumption. Consumption that rivals the most economical family car on our standard consumption scale, even though such a TT accelerates to 135 km / h in just seven seconds and its 184-liter turbo diesel powertrain develops 380 kilowatts or XNUMX horsepower. produce a very decisive torque in XNUMX Newton-meters, which knows how to get rid of the characteristic turbodiesel feeling of blows to the buttocks.
The result of 4,7 liters of consumption on a normal circle clearly justifies the Ultra lettering on the back of this TT. Part of the reason is also in the rather small mass (empty weighs only 1,3 tons), which is due to the widespread use of aluminum and other lightweight materials. But, of course, this is only one side of the matter. There will probably be buyers who buy TTs in order to drive with minimal fuel consumption, but such people will have to put up with the other side of the coin: the inability of a diesel engine to spin up at high speeds, especially a diesel one. sound. When the TDI announces this morning, its sound is unmistakable and unmistakable by the diesel engine, and even the efforts of Audi engineers to make the sound more sophisticated or sporty have not borne any real fruit. The engine is never quiet. This is still acceptable given the sporty character of the coupe, but what if its sound is always unmistakable diesel.
Switching to a sportier setting (Audi Drive Select) doesn't mitigate this either. The sound gets a little louder, a little humming or even drumming, but it can't hide the character of the engine. Or maybe he doesn't even want to. In any case, adjusting the sound of a diesel engine will never produce the same result as a gasoline engine. And for the TT, the two-liter TFSI is undoubtedly the best choice in this regard. Since the Ultra-badged TT is also aimed at reducing fuel consumption, it's no wonder it's only available with front-wheel drive. Less internal loss in transferring power to the wheels simply means less fuel consumption. And despite a very solid chassis (in the TT test it was even more solid with the S Line sports package), such a TT has a lot of problems transferring all the torque to the ground. If traction is poor on pavement, the ESP warning light will come on too frequently in lower gears, and not at all on wet roads.
Of course, this helps to tune Audi Drive Select for comfort, but miracles are not to be expected here. In addition, the TT was fitted with Hankook tires, which are otherwise very good on coarser asphalt, where the TT exhibits very high borders and a very neutral position on the road, but the smoother Slovenian asphalt the boundaries shift. unexpectedly low. If it's really slippery (to add rain, for example), the TT (also just because of the front-wheel drive) has understeer if the road smoothness is somewhere in the middle (imagine dry Istrian roads or smoother sections on our ends). she can slip the ass quite decisively. Driving can be enjoyable when the driver knows they need a little more throttle and that harsh steering wheel responses are unnecessary, but the TT always made it feel like it didn't get along with its tires on these roads.
However, the essence of the TT is not only in the engine and chassis, it has always stood out for its shape. When Audi introduced the first generation TT coupe in 1998, it made a splash with its shape. The highly symmetrical shape, in which the direction of travel was actually indicated only by the shape of the roof, had many opponents, but the sales results showed that Audi was not wrong. The next generation moved away from this concept, with the new and the third, the designers went back a lot to their roots. The new TT has a corporate identity, especially the mask, and the side lines are almost horizontal, as is the case with the first generation. However, the overall design also shows that the new TT is closer in design to the first generation than the previous one, but of course in a modern style. Inside, the main design features are easy to highlight.
The instrument panel is curved towards the driver, shaped like a wing on top, the same touches are repeated on the center console and door. And the last clear move: goodbye, two screens, goodbye, low-lying commands - all this the designers have changed. Below are just a few less used buttons (for example, to manually move the rear spoiler) and the MMI controller. Instead of classic instruments, there is one high-resolution LCD screen that displays all the information the driver needs. Well, almost everything: despite such a technological design, just below this LCD display, incomprehensibly, remained much more classic, and mainly due to segmented backlighting, inaccurate engine temperature and fuel gauges. With all the great on-screen fuel gauges offered by modern cars, this solution is incomprehensible, almost ridiculous. If such a meter is somehow digested in the Seat Leon, it is unacceptable for a TT with the new LCD indicators (which Audi calls a virtual cockpit).
The sensors are of course very clear and offer all the information they need easily, but the user only needs to learn how to use the left and right buttons on the steering wheel or on the MMI controller in the same way as using the left and right buttons. mouse buttons. It is a shame that Audi did not take a step forward here and did not provide the user with the possibility of individualization. Thus, the driver is doomed to always show the speed with both a classic sensor and a numerical value inside it, instead of, for example, deciding that he needs only one thing or only the other. Maybe instead of a separate left and right rpm and rpm counter, you prefer a rpm and speed indicator in the middle, left and right, for example for navigation and radio? Well, maybe it will make us happy at Audi in the future.
For generations of customers accustomed to customizing smartphones, such solutions will be a necessity, not just a welcome extra feature. The MMI that we at Audi are used to is very advanced. In fact, the top of his controller is the touchpad. So you can select phonebook contacts, a destination, or a radio station name by typing it with your finger (this is something you don't have to take your eyes off the road, as the car also reads every written sign). The solution deserves the label “excellent” with a plus, only the location of the controller itself is a little embarrassing - when switching, you can get stuck with the sleeve of a shirt or jacket if it is a little wider. Since the TT thus has only one screen, the designers of the air conditioning switch (and displays) have conveniently hidden it in the three middle buttons to control the vents, which is a creative, transparent and useful solution.
The front seats are exemplary both in the shape of the seat (and its side grip) and in the distance between it and the seat and pedals. They may have a slightly shorter stroke (that's an old VW Group disease), but they're still fun to use. We were less happy with the installation of the air vent for defrosting the side windows. It cannot be closed and its explosion can hit the heads of taller drivers. There is, of course, little space behind, but not so much that the seats are completely useless. If a passenger of average height sits in the front, then a not so small child can sit in the back without much difficulty, but of course this only applies as long as they both agree that the TT will never be an A8. It is worth noting that the TT does not have a front seat retraction system that would move it all the way forward and then return it to the correct position, and only the backrest is retracted.
Trunk? With its 305 liters, it is quite spacious. It is quite shallow but big enough for family weekly shopping or family luggage. Honestly, don't expect anything more from a sports coupe. The optional LED headlights are excellent (but unfortunately not active), as is the Bang & Olufsen sound system, and of course there's an extra charge for the smart key, as is navigation with the aforementioned MMI system. In addition, you also get a speed limiter in addition to cruise control, of course you can think of many other things from the accessories list. In the test TT, it was for a good 18 thousand, but it's hard to say that you can easily refuse anything from this list - except perhaps the sports chassis from the S line package and, possibly, navigation. About three thousand could have been saved, but no more. The Ultra labeled TT is actually quite an interesting car. It's not for the whole family, but it also does a pretty good job, it's not an athlete, but it's really fast and quite fun, but also economical, it's not a pleasant GT, but it finds itself (more with the engine and less with the chassis) on long trips. She's pretty much the kind of girl for anyone who wants a sports coupe. And, of course, who can afford it.
text: Dusan Lukic
