Audi has recently released new design sketches for its revamped TT model in preparation for its grand unveiling next month at the prestigious Geneva Motor Show. Audi hopes to ‘reinterpret the idea’ of its TT with this new design, one that appears to have more in common with current mainstream models than the original TT. It certainly has a number of elements that Audi fans will be used to seeing but if these early indicators are anything to go by then the new TT will also carry over more than vestigial traces of the first generation model. It also has some familiar cues from the Audi allroad Shooting Brake concept shown at the Detroit Auto show recently.
So what’s new, exactly? Well, with its ‘dominant horizontals’ as Audi calls them, the new TT strikes a powerful stance. Its wider wheel arches, large rounded exhaust pipes and horizontal lines at the back reinforce this sporty physique that show that the re-imagined TT means business.
The TT won’t be all talk either, as the sporty exterior is reportedly backed up by solid internal architecture that follows the shape of the VW Group’s MQB (the same platform that underpins both the A3 and Volkswagen’s Golf 7). With 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and the highly popular 2.5-litre five-pot turbo variants expected, the TT should be able to provide a thrilling yet dependable drive.
Audi has already given up the goods on its proposed design for the interior of its new TT. At the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show last month attendants were treated to a sleek aircraft-inspired dashboard supported by an impressive array of stylishly designed instruments. For starters, the TFT monitor incorporates its satnav maps and other navigation tools in a PIP (picture-in-picture) format which makes the entire display easy to navigate without losing functionality.
In addition, those classic TT air nozzles that were first sported on the original model have been given the aircraft treatment as they now resemble miniature jet engines. Controls for seat heating, air-con, airflow strength and so on are all located in the vents and axes in a simple yet elegant and aesthetically pleasing design solution.
When the Geneva Motor Show plays host to the grand unveiling next month it will be the ideal time to gauge reactions to Audi’s bold new direction for the TT. With its fusion of old and new design elements, will the model that provided such a milestone for car design ignite the imagination of consumers as the first TT managed to do? Or will it simply measure up as another acceptable addition to the Audi stable?
Check back next month to see how the new TT has been received and how bright its future might look.
Photo Credits: Audi USA Press Room
