The Audi A1 is very well resolved car to drive, and it copes well with the rigours of the UK鈥檚 desperately tired and potholed tarmac. At least the smaller-wheeled versions ride with a pleasing degree of compliance, but we鈥檇 recommend test driving the 18-inch options before you buy. Some customers are likely to find the additional harshness they introduce to proceedings disappointing, although others will consider it a worthwhile trade-off for the extra style of the bigger wheels. The sports suspension set-up of the 2.0 TFSI is harsher too, to the extent that passengers may find longer journeys a bit of a chore. Steering is accurate and well weighted, and in standard guise the A1 resists excessive body roll effectively although it isn鈥檛 as responsive as the Ford Fiesta or MINI, both of which are more entertaining for the engaged driver. The A1 wins out for refinement though, as it feels as hushed as a premium saloon car two classes up. The seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch auto works very smoothly, and is likely to appeal more to most customers than the manual which is ever so slightly notchy in operation. The bigger 2.0 engine comes with an old-school six-speed auto which occasionally feels a little sluggardly on kickdown. With 114bhp under the bonnet, the launch phase 30 TFSI models can do 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds - although high gearing means it doesn鈥檛 feel quite as fast as it might from the driver鈥檚 seat.
There are tweaks in areas to keep the car fresh, so let鈥檚 find out what this 拢44,565 flagship is like. The TT is still based on the VW Group鈥檚 MQB platform, so it has a front-mounted engine paired with MacPherson struts. But the TTS has quattro four-wheel drive, which necessitates a multi-link set-up at the rear. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine now boasts a petrol particulate filter, which has affected the power output. This is actually down by 4bhp compared with the pre-facelift model, at 302bhp, but maximum torque has risen by 20Nm, to 400Nm overall. The TTS still features a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The chassis gets a bespoke sports suspension set-up, with Audi鈥檚 adaptive magnetic dampers linked to the drive mode selector, so you can choose from Efficient, Comfort or Dynamic settings, or tailor the different elements to your taste in Individual. When it launched, the third-generation TT鈥檚 cabin was a showstopper, and it鈥檚 every bit as impressive today. That鈥檚 helped by an upgraded specification with the Technology Pack fitted as standard.
This includes sat-nav and three years of connected services, as well as wireless charging. It鈥檚 all displayed on Audi鈥檚 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit, because the TT doesn鈥檛 get a centre screen; this is one of the key features that makes the cabin unique. There have been minimal changes inside, so you still get diamond-stitched sports seats, although they place you a little too high and in a less natural-feeling position than its rivals. The red accents around the interior will split opinion, but they鈥檙e a 拢295 option. Otherwise, the high-quality cabin鈥檚 build feels more on par with the Porsche than the lightweight Alpine. There鈥檚 plenty of kit and tech for a 拢40,000-plus car, too, while you can add options if you want more. Our car featured close to 拢10,000 worth of extras. The TT is a known quantity when it comes to performance on the road. The changes to the engine鈥檚 calibration haven鈥檛 resulted in a dent to its dynamism, though, because the S sprinted from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds.
Traction off the line is great, thanks to the four-wheel drive, launch control and dual-clutch box, while the shifts are rapid enough, albeit with a slurred edge to just smooth out any aggressive clunks. In Dynamic mode, the engine sounds different to before, with a more melodious note in the mid-range that is closer to that of the five-cylinder TT RS than a flatter-sounding four-cylinder. At higher revs the augmented noise is not so nice, though. There is certainly no complaint over the model鈥檚 performance. The TTS split the lighter Alpine and manual Porsche in our in-gear tests and is ruthlessly rapid and efficient in the way it delivers its surge. But it鈥檚 hard to love, and that stems from the chassis. In Dynamic mode the adaptive dampers are too firm, especially on our car鈥檚 20-inch wheels. It means you pogo up and down in the seat quite noticeably, while it also affects the car鈥檚 balance and stability on a torn road. It鈥檚 better in Comfort mode, but the feeling is still there and only muted slightly by the softer set-up.
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