Business Car Manager verdict

The Audi TT swept through the UK like a storm when it hit our roads in 1999. It was a revolution in design and put Audi right on the map as sporty but oh so desirably sophisticated as well.

With a 2+2 hatch back configuration, moreover, the TT remained quite practical by the standard of the sports car segment, and particularly compared to direct competitors such as the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4.

Since launch, it has easily been the best selling car in that segment, and the UK remains the world’s largest market for the TT. The love affair is set to continue, particularly if your The love affair is set to continue, particularly if your head and heart both have to be satisfied.

True, the new model has gone up in price, but with the all-important 3 year, 60,000 residual value expected to be 50% for the diesel model tested here, many buyers will conclude that it remains fair value.

The great news is that this model, the ‘entry’ level diesel, feels almost as fast as the more powerful petrol versions, and with a manual transmission is more involving to drive.

Other benefits besides the obvious diesel advantage of much lower running costs, include (relatively) sensible 18 inch wheels and 45 profile tyres, although the ride is still pretty unforgiving, reflecting the incredibly stiff steel and aluminium chassis honed by Audi to maximise weight saving and performance.

On the down side, there really is no rear legroom at all despite an increased wheel base, but with the seats flattened, the luggage volume rises 712 litres, unique in the segment and a small improvement over the outgoing model.

Weirdly, the overall package is let down principally by a single detail, the fact that sat nav is an optional extra and can only be bought as part of a £1,700 tech package.

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This is a bizarre omission given the great emphasis put by Audi on the wizardry of the 12 inch screen, which replaces analogue dials, and the otherwise excellent rotary controls for directing it.

We reckon Audi will adjust this detail as time passes, but for now it’s a case of taking the hit or continuing to pin up your smart phone.

Apart from this disappointment, the overall dash and tech combination is sensationally up to date and probably bang on cue for the audience.

It’s a curiously Anglo-German love affair, the four rings in general and the TT in particular. If you want one, definitely drive this model before you decide. In our real world test, we averaged 44mpg for the diesel, versus 26mpg for the ‘hotter’ 230 PS Quattro petrol version.

With more torque than the petrols, at 380Nm, the diesel remains very poky on real roads, and well suits the daily duties that many TTs perform for private and business owners. With careful optioning it is definitely the model we would buy with our own money.

As a company car, with CO2 emissions of just 110g/km, the TT really does make a lot of sense – all that TT style without getting clobbered by the tax man.

The Low Down…..

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