SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.
Posted: 30 January 2016
The numbers
Price: R700 500
Engine: Volkswagen EA113, 1984 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, inline four, turbopetrol
Power: 210 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 280 Nm between 2500 and 5000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 4.8 seconds
Maximum speed: 250 km/h (governed)
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.9 l/100 km
Tank: 55 litres
Warranty: 1 year / unlimited km
Maintenance plan: 5 years / 100 000 km
“Cute little toad,” I said.
“Sexy,” she corrected.
“Totally impractical,” I ventured.
“We’ll have one,” she demurred.
The subject of this good-natured reversal of gender stereotypes was Audi’s little TTS coupé; a nominally 2+2, six-speed S-tronic (twin-clutch), 2.0-litre with Quattro all-wheel drive. With power increased by 41 kilowatts, and torque by 10 Nm, over the already indecently rapid plain vanilla TT models (one with fwd and one with Quattro) its performance is best described as OMG. The “S” surely stands for steroids.
About the 2014, limited edition, TTS of which only 25 were brought to SA: If you bought one of those, you might want to upgrade. This new one is ten kW more powerful, develops 30 Nm more torque and knocks a full half-second off that car’s zero-to-100 time. Just a suggestion; use it, don’t use it. It’s up to you.
Like its predecessor, it sits 10 mm lower than the plain TT, has special badging, 19” wheels with 35-profile tyres, its own grille design and wider air intakes and it trumpets its authority via four exhaust outlets. And to make sure you enjoy it fully, special flaps in the exhaust system add Brabba-Bap! sound effects when you get frisky with it.
The cockpit feels almost retrospective. Apart from the usual cowling over the instrument panel, the dash curves gently away to the passenger’s side. There’s no vertical cluster or display screen and definitely no stick-on, or slide-up-and-down, tablet – just a clean, uncluttered dash top. Here’s a sincere Danke Schön to Jürgen Löffler, this third-gen TT’s designer.
But if you think that means analogue instruments and an absence of electronics, think again. Within that 12.3” cluster all is either digital or virtual with your choice of two different views of the instruments and information panels. Basically you can have miniaturised revolution counter and speedometer with music details, navigation screen or information panel in between; or a big, central tacho with digital speed readout in the middle and other information to its left and right.
Moving back a bit, both Alcantara-and-leather sports seats adjust every way possible and support you positively without being cloying and, for the long-legged, both seats’ cushions extend for added under-thigh support. As for the back seat, it was pointless even trying to get in, although it does have positive features. The main cushion is attractively sculpted to accommodate two small cases and the 50:50-split backrests fold down flat.
In a break with tradition, this creates a slight step downward from the boot floor, but it’s no hardship at all. To abide by the letter of the law, built-in head restraints and a pair of seat belts look after safety issues. Speaking of which, two sets of ISOFix anchors attend to the needs of those who could conceivably fit back there.
The neatly rectangular boot, measuring a useful 305 litres, has a high loading lip – about hip level – although it’s just 19 centimetres deep. The dual-hinged floor board lifts to reveal a spacesaver spare.
Driving impressions: The ride, over rough asphalt, is very harsh so it would be nice if one could optionally substitute smaller wheels and tyres with higher profiles. By foregoing a tiny degree of handling ability one could conceivably make the car more livable. Unfortunately, according to the local Audi office, that which is standard throughout the world must remain so.
Apart from that, it handles like it’s on rails, it accelerates like a racehorse, everything works just right and it’s terribly civilised while doing so. Those seeking greater involvement might see that as a slight negative. Another is that its ultra-compact coupé shape makes it awkward to see out to the sides at certain intersections; but those are small prices to pay.
A little impractical in execution it may be, almost Kermit-like in looks it certainly is, but Sexy beats all.
Test unit from Audi SA press fleet
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8