Audi TT Roadster 17 ver2
Audi TT Roadster 05
Audi TT Roadster 47
Audi TT Roadster 06
Audi TT Roadster 35
Bruce Newton7 Jan 2016
REVIEW

Audi TT Roadster S Line 2016 Review

Third generation Audi drop-top changes character … and changes it back again

Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic S line
Road Test

The TT Roadster has been one of those Audis that we like but don’t love. For all the derring-do of its styling there’s always been a bit of predictability about its character, like focus group research has played too big a part in defining a character that’s more about the atmosphere than the experience. But the new third generation Roadster may be about to change all that… at least some of the time.

In the good old days – queue groans from anyone under 40 – when cars started the shift from metal to digital, switches started to proliferate on dashboards that claimed to adjust driving behaviour.

I remember the Peugeot 607 – I am probably the only person who does – which claimed to have nine different suspension settings – I think it was nine, maybe I don’t remember it that well.

But no matter how many times I toggled and switched and drove back and forth over the same bumpy road, I could not detect any difference in the sloppy ride and handling. I became convinced behind the switch there were no wires at all, sort of like a dieselgate for handling and ride. Wiregate?

Anyway, the reason for these musings and the poor attempt at humour, is the Audi TT Roadster.

Through 16 years, the TT has been unable to shake a middle-of-the-road image. It looks good sure, but it’s never been a particularly inspiring sort of drive, at least not compared to some other German roadsters like the (admittedly more expensive) Porsche Boxter.

Maybe the new the third generation still doesn’t quite reach those elite standards, but the advent of drive modes that actually work mean that this is easily the most memorable TT roadster so far.

In Audi Drive Select’s ‘comfort’ mode it was okay, in drab ‘efficiency’ mode it was pretty ordinary. But dial it up into ‘sport’ and all of a sudden the 169kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged engine woke up, the gearshift sharpened, the electro-mechanical steering quickened and the quattro system became more rear-focussed.

With the stability control system dialed down to ‘sport’ the car was even programmed to drift a little – in a controlled environment on a low-grip surface only of course… does the hairpin on the country road near my place count? No. Okay. Didn’t happen.

Combine that with torque vectoring assistance (using inside wheel braking) and a suspension set-up that favours firm sports over boulevard pillow (you can option adjustable dampers by the way) and you get a TT drive with a more serious sporting intent than ever before.

A blat through a set of tight, winding roads is where this car shines, especially if the sun is shining and the roof is down. The engine fizzes under load, wah-bapping through the gears toward 7000rpm and then crackle-banging on the over-run, the chassis darts through corners sitting flat on its 19-inch Hankook tyres. Then the well-sorted quattro system punches the car forward from the apex.

In bigger, faster sweepers, especially with bumps thrown in, the TT’s short wheelbase and tight set-up make it less attractive. Maybe the steering’s lack of feel is also more exposed here. So stick to the fun roads!

Of course you can wind it all back to ‘comfort’ if you just want to pose, although the firm, short-travel suspension will always remind you there is sharp intent here. That more relaxed attitude is likely to get you closer to the claimed 6.7L/100km fuel consumption claim. We saw eights and nines.

Anyway, better backtrack here for a second and give you a few details about this car.

Generation three TT Roadster launched in Australia back in July. Audi culled the range and now there is just one mechanical set-up; 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol attached to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission (s tronic in Audi-speak) and the latest iteration of Audi’s on-demand quattro system.

The base price is $81,500 for the Sport, or $89,000 for the S line we are testing here.

We went into detail about the equipment details at the Australian launch, so no need to reprise except to say that it is pretty well equipped. Bar one glaring omission, a reversing camera. In a car with such limited rearward vision with the roof up this really should be standard.

Underpinning the TT is a platform derived from the VW’s MQB modular architecture and elements of the Audi Aluminium Spaceframe (ASF) technology. It is strengthened for topless duty compared to the coupe and is therefore 90kg heavier. But it feels rigid and doesn’t scuttle shake.

Over the top is a body that transmits both the ovoid generation one TT and the more angular generation two. It’s a bit more butch and aggressive with its big-mouth grille and – in the metal – really good looking.

The roof is a five-layer soft top that opens or retracts at speeds up to 50km/h in just 10 seconds. Closed it does a decent job of keeping external noises to a dull roar, when down it exposes people about 180cm and over to plenty of tousling of the hair at 100km/h. At 60km/h it is more pleasant. A powered wind deflector helps retain order.

Inside the cabin is where the TT kicks another big home run. The virtual cockpit with its 3D graphics is a ripper. Combined with a fundamental redesign of the MMI driver control system, it has made the dashboard and controls easier and faster to use and more informative.

Being able to spread the satellite navigation like a map across a vast space within the instrument panel is very cool and very helpful. You can do this because of the way the dials can be grown or shrunk depending on your needs. A voice control that works, mobile-phone-like scroll and zoom functions, finger gesturing and good old fashioned toggle switches and rotary dials all play their parts.

The way the air-conditioning is controlled by the rotating dials that ring the air-conditioning vents is also very cool.

Where the TT unsurprisingly struggles is in day-to-day usability. It has more space than its predecessor but it’s still not what you would call functional. Cleverly, Audi has been able to store the Z-fold roof so it doesn’t impinge on the 280 litre boot space. But it’s not that generous to start with.

But once you have lowered yourself all the way down into the cockpit you will find really comfortable single-piece and power adjustable sports seats, a chubby sports steering wheel with useable flappy paddles and reach and rake adjustment and a high level of soft-touch and stitched interior trim that is tightly assembled.

And most importantly, I reckon, you’ll also find that drive-mode selector button in there that really does work and really does have the ability to change the character of this car for the better… or not.

2016 Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic S line pricing and specifications:
Price: $89,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engines: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Outputs: 169kW/370Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.7L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 154g/km (ADR combined)
Safety Rating: N/A

Also consider:
Alfa Romeo 4C Spider (from $99,000)
BMW Z4 (from $80,500)
Porsche Boxster (from $104,700)

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
76/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
15/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
12/20
Safety & Technology
14/20
Behind The Wheel
18/20
X-Factor
17/20
Pros
  • Drives like a real sports car in dynamic
  • Virtual cockpit is cool and works well
  • Typical Audi interior quality
Cons
  • Loses brio when not in dynamic mode
  • No reversing camera
  • Predictably, not much storage area
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