Audi TT review – interior and tech
A highlight of all TTs, the cabin remains a superb example of design restraint and clever material use.
Considering its style-led design, the TT coupe is reasonably practical. It’s almost exactly the same length as the Mk2 TT, but the wheelbase has grown by 37mm, liberating a teeny bit more interior space. The rear seats however are still tiny and only really suitable for occasional use, even by small children.
As before, the rear seat backs fold flat, and the TT’s long tailgate provides good access to the luggage area. Think of the TT as a two-seater with a big boot and you won’t go far wrong. That gives you a very decent 712 litres of luggage space. And even with the rear seats in place you still get 305 litres – that’s 13 litres more than the last-generation TT.
Everyone remembers the original round vents in the dashboard of the first TT, and in their latest iteration they look more than ever like beautifully miniaturised jet engines pinched from a Boeing. They’ve also been given a technical twist, with digital readouts placed at the centre of the vents. In the same way that we’re sure some people bought a Mk4 Golf purely for the blue lighting in the dials, we can see some people being wooed by these vents (even if they might not admit it).
Not a vent fetishist? Then perhaps you might be seduced by what happens when you turn the ignition on. Settle into the driver’s seat, and where you would normally expect a pair of dials to be peering at you through the steering wheel, there is initially only an inky blankness. Wake the electrics, however, and a beautiful, crystal-clear 12.3-inch screen comes to life and fills the instrument cowling with jewel-like graphics. You can toggle between a conventional two- dial layout, a big central rev-counter (a view available only in the TTS), and, perhaps most impressively, a screen mostly filled with a satnav map that consigns the other information to the peripheries. The only downside is that it leaves your passenger slightly out in the cold.
TrustpilotTelephone, media, trip and car settings functions all appear on the screen and can be controlled using both the touch sensitive MMI controller or the multi-function wheel. The clarity of the screen combined with the dual-functionality of the controls, makes Audi’s Virtual Cockpit a rare joy to use. The optional Technology Package adds navigation with features like Google Maps traffic information, music streaming and internet access. Interestingly, the flexibility of the Virtual Cockpit means a dealer updating the software can add it at any time.
