New Audi TT Coupé in Blackburn, Carlisle, Crewe, Preston, Stafford and Stoke

The Audi TT Coupé is an icon that needs no introduction. It’s the car responsible for transforming the way people think about premium sports coupés and this latest version, introduced in late 2014, moves things on again – brilliant to drive, brilliant to live with.

Exterior design

The basic silhouette of the TT Coupé has barely changed since its 1998 introduction, but each new version of the TT has sharpened the looks to emphasise its increasingly sporty handling characteristics.

All TT Coupés ride on stylish alloys, with the S Line trim upgrading the standard 18-inch wheels to 19-inch. The S Line trim also adds a body styling package, and to complete the more aggressive look you can also have the ride height lowered by 10mm at no cost.

Bright Xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights illuminate the road ahead, while a rear spoiler on the tail deploys and retracts at a set speed (or manually at the touch of a button).

Interior design

Getting into the TT Coupé feels like an event in itself. It’s exquisitely well-built from premium materials throughout, while the dashboard design kept minimal to emphasise that the focus is on the road.

There are two trim levels: Sport and S Line. Both feature a sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel that you can adjust to find the perfect driving position, air conditioning and Alcantara/leather upholstery on the front Sports seats.

In the back there’s a pair of petite rear seats perfect for younger passengers, and a practical hatchback opens to reveal a useably-sized boot that’s bigger than those found in many superminis. Practicality has not been sacrificed in the name of style either: the rear seats split and fold to expand the boot space if you need more carrying capacity.

Performance

You can choose from three four-cylinder engines in the TT Coupé. Opt for petrol power and you can pick from turbocharged 1.8 and 2.0 TFSI engines with 178bhp and 227bhp respectively. The 1.8 will sprint to 60mph in under 6.9 seconds, while the 2.0-litre knocks about a second off this.

The 2.0 TDI ‘Ultra’ diesel option is fractionally slower to 60mph, but muscular mid-range torque means in-gear acceleration makes overtaking a pleasure. Extremely impressive 117g/km CO2 emissions make it the cheapest choice for company car drivers, and it’ll even return over 60mpg on the combined cycle.

There’s an optional six-speed S tronic gearbox available in the 2.0 TFSI, which can also be combined with Audi’s legendary quattro all-wheel drive system to improve grip and handling even further. Audi drive select means you can alter the driving manners of the TT to suit the day, subtly changing the throttle and steering responses. Select Comfort mode to make longer drives less tiring and Dynamic mode to make the most of open country roads.

Technology and safety

The TT Coupé features the impressive Audi Virtual Cockpit, which replaces the traditional analogue dials from older cars with a huge 12.3-inch TFT panel that displays everything from speed to phone and audio information.

Audi’s MMI radio system is fitted as standard; use either a rotary dial or touch-sensitive pad to control it. It’s ready to be paired with your Bluetooth®-enabled smartphone so you can stream music from apps like Spotify, or use it as satellite navigation. Satellite navigation is an option (specify the Technology pack) and offers detailed three-dimensional directions via the Virtual Cockpit.

A large number of safety features come as standard, including front impact airbags, Cruise Control to take the strain out of long journeys, and a tyre pressure loss indicator.