The 2019 Audi TT Is Fresher, Meaner, More Tech Savvy, and Quick-Tempered

I expected to see a facelifted Audi TT at the Paris Auto Show later this year, but Audi jumped the gun and released a new car only days after the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The new Audi TT received superficial exterior upgrades, slightly retuned engines, and a few more options for the interior. It remained much the same as before, but it did gain new Audi nomenclature designating the version with a number. New cars include the TT 40 TFSI, the TT 45 TFSI, the TT 45 TFSI Quattro, and the TTS.

Exterior Changes For The New Audi TT

Audi kept the changes to a minimum. Really, one would need a loupe to find the changes on this gem. However, Audi was kind enough to point them out. A three-dimensional Singleframe radiator grille complements the larger intakes at the sides. This makes the Audi TT appear wider than it actually is. The Germans wanted to do much the same at the rear, but they achieved the same result by incorporating wide horizontal lines - some neat design trickery for sure.

If you are up for spending a bit more money, you could opt for front LED lights or even the lights with LED Matrix technology. These were not available on last year's model. Optional OLED rear lights are also a new touch for the 2019 Audi TT.

As always, the S line package can frame the car in a rather appealing sporty package.

Audi, apparently, redesigned every piece of the S line add-on package. Despite its diminutive size, the TT can feel quite rowdy with the new “full-length front splitter, vertical air inlets, radiator grille in titanium black, side sills with inserts, wider diffuser, and vertical air inlets below the rear lights with three horizontal fins.” If you ask me, the S line is the package to go for. It simply gives an edge to the TT, transforming it from a peaceful city fashion accessory to something with zest and pungency. It’s a car you’d like to throw through the bends or race with as soon as you see it. Add in those fine new wheel designs, and one of three new colors - Turbo Blue, Pulse Orange and Cosmos Blue - and the 2019 Audi TT will definitely feel all new.

Interior Novelties

As far as changes in the interior go, Audi seems to have been even less adventurous than on the outside. There were no major changes, but the Virtual Cockpit did gain an option for the integration of an additional display. It is the same one you could get on RS-badged cars showing fun telemetries such as the G-force, torque info and the like. The sport display complements the updated Virtual Cockpit and infotainment system making the new TT even more appealing and tech savvy. The sport display is standard equipment only oin the TTS, mind you. Yet, even the entry-level TT gained a lot of stuff including Drive Select, heated mirrors, sports seats, and a multitude of driver assistance systems. Optionally, you could spec it out with the Bang&Olufsen hi-fi audio system with 680 watts of power.

Drivetrain

Although available in four different versions right from the get-go, the 2019 Audi TT actually offers only one engine (for now) in a few different states of tune. The least powerful one comes with front-wheel drive, a six-speed manual gearbox, and a 2.0-liter TFSI developing 197 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Optionally, you could spec it out with the seven-speed S Tronic transmission. Same story with the TT 45 Quattro. It is available with a manual, but for its 245 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque, I prefer the S Tronic. Somehow, it just feels more in line with what the TT has become. Moving up to the TT 45 Quattro trim, Audi offers it only with the S Tronic. This is not the top of the line car, though. The TTS is. That one is a pure, unfiltered sports car and, before the new TT RS comes, the thoroughbred of the lineup. Its 2.0-liter, turbocharged TFSI develops 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Don't think for a second that this is not enough. Line it up next to, say, the Challenger R/T 5.7 and the TTS will smoke the Dodge to 60 mph. I can’t even imagine what the TTS would do to the Dodge through some bends. The TTS will crack the magic number in 4.5 seconds. The TTS Roadster will do the same in 4.8 seconds, and it will look even cooler with its top down. You’d need around 10 seconds to lower it though.

Audi TT 20 Years Edition

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the TT, Audi released a new special edition called the Audi TT 20 Years Edition. The car itself is a homage to the first Audi TTS Concept revealed in 1995. First, Audi showed it in coupe form at the IAA in Frankfurt and then in roadster form at the Tokyo Motor Show. Now, the new TT 20 Years Edition takes the most notable styling cues from the concept car. The inside is drizzled in brown Nappa leather and Baseball stitching. The same leather can be found on the doors, the steering wheel, and the transmission lever. Although this may sound a bit tacky, Audi actually used a slightly darker hue for the leather inside to make it look more sophisticated. Other details include Black calipers on the outside, special badging, and unique exhaust tips. Limiting the production to 999 units, Audi certainly elevated the exclusivity of the model. Only 80 of these cars will actually reach the U.S. making the Audi TT 20 Years Edition a unique sight on our streets. The Audi TT 20 Years Edition is available in Arrow grey or Nano grey hues, and you can order it in coupe or roadster form.

Conclusion

Despite not bringing anything revolutionary, or evolutionary for that matter, the 2019 Audi TT feels a bit fresher. Especially if rigged up with new features such as the new S line package, new wheels, LED lights, and the new hue. Now, we have to wait for the TT RS. That one could smoke a year old Hellcat off the line to 60 mph. And then some.

The 2019 Audi TT will make its public debut later this year, and it will go on sale in Europe by the end of the year. Customers in the U.S. can expect it sometime in the first quarter of 2019.

TopSpeed