This is the new Audi TT

As they did with the TT Mk2, Audi will unveil the all-new Mk3 model in a variant which looks decidedly un-coupé like. Despite its crossover form, you and I will shortly come to know it as the 2015 TT due to go on sale later this year.

The production model will lose the shooting-brake design, roof rails and plastic cladding, but otherwise the nose and rear including integrated rear spoiler and dual exhausts will be carried forward.

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The Audi allroad shooting brake concept

Audi’s surprise for the 2014 North American International Auto Show is a compact crossover concept which seeks to showcase several new technologies. Firstly the e-tron powertrain which comprises a detuned Audi S3 engine (with 288bhp and 380Nm of torque) operating together with a a disc-shaped electric motor producing 114bhp and 270 Nm (199.14 lb-ft) of torque. In total there is 402bhp and 650 Nm (479.42 lb-ft) of torque on offer, which propels the 1,600 kg concept from 0 to 62mph in 4.6 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph.

Fuel consumption is a miserly 148.7mpg, which equates to CO2 emissions of 45g/km and a total driving range of up to 510 miles.

Its drivetrain is based on that of the mighty Sport quattro concept originally shown at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, featuring an aluminium and carbon fibre body shell, MatrixBeam LED headlights and an e-tron quattro drivetrain.

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Audi – January 14th, 2014.

Earlier in the week Audi presented the new TT’s interior at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, introducing its fully digital instrument cluster which alleviates the need for a central MMI monitor. It’s slimmer yet comes packed with Audi’s new generation of electronics and connectivity features.

Audi say the interior of the new TT generation has been redesigned from the ground up, resembling an airplane wing from the top with a turbine look about the air nozzles. Controls for air conditions and seat heating are housed in the vents with small displays indicating their chosen setting.

The biggest change though is the new TT’s 12.3-inch TFT monitor which can switch between two display modes. In primary mode the speedometer and rev counter are in the foreground, while in ‘infotainment’ mode the virtual instruments are smaller. The space created can then be used to display functions such as the navigation map.

As with today’s car, the new TT’s multifunction steering wheel features a flat-bottomed rim, with aluminium-look clips framing its spokes. The MMI terminal on the centre tunnel console functions like a smartphone and includes a full-text search function.

Changes extend beyond the electronics, new S-Line sport seats are now more heavily bucketed with integrated headrest and significantly curved side bolsters. Adjustment to the rake of the backrests is made via a loop and the side bolsters can be adjusted pneumatically.

When the TT moved from first to second generation it became sportier, this time Audi will make it “a genuine sports car”. As before it will measure 4.2 metres in length and provide a more compact and usable experience than traditional sports cars such as the Porsche Boxster.

Written By

Steve Davies

Steve is an investor, private equity advisor and former Partner at KPMG, PwC and Bain. Most importantly he's a life-long car enthusiast, mountain biker and active sports enthusiast. He designs and builds technology platforms and is the architect behind Transmission.