New Audi TT Coupe First Drive: Alternative view

Well, it’s been sometime now I have shared my point of view but here goes. The TT is one really cool looking car. Hands down! You would think that most coupes of this genre were only made for cruising along some boulevard. Until you realize that this little car had a new heart transplant. The now popular 2.0 liter TFSI turbo engine coupled with my favourite gearbox, the VW DSG. (Audi calls it – S-Tronic) Even in normal D mode as I was exiting the Audi hangar I was already experiencing some tire spins just before the traction control reined in the power. Gosh, this turbo unit has loads of low down torque.

The moment you find some open roads that is when the fun starts. I was being tailed by a skyline GTR which was really on my back. I floored the car and whoosh off I went leaving the skyline a little dumb founded. As I looked back to see if the GTR was following I saw the rear spoiler rising up as my car pass 120km/h. It’s not just about top end speed here but the why it was delivered. A strong pull to the redline before changing up just puts a smile on your face. This is still one of the best lag free turbo engine that I have driven. (Still waiting to try out the BMW 335i. Hint, hint BMW Malaysia)




The interior is just awesome. The air-conditioning dials, yummy. The speedometer counters just made the car felt racier. Very impressive Audi! (Now if only the other German markers can learn a thing or two here) Everything just fitted so well, right down to those hugging bucket seats. The way it grabbed your torso, and your thighs just felt right sitting in them. The term seating IN the seat and not seating ON came to mind.

Well there is no perfect car, and here is one thing that I find Audi just don’t seem to get it right. It’s all in the steering and the way the shocks are setup. The steering to me was way too light, even at high speeds which made me feel less secure driving the car fast. Don’t get me wrong, the steering was accurate but it was just lifeless and some what artificial. I guess Audi still has not gotten their electric power steering right. I found the setup on the Colt Rally Art better. What a waste cause the flat bottom steering on the TT looked so promising. All the looks, but no feel. To me this is the most important part as the steering is the main connection between you and the road.

The undulating and off camber roads didn’t help either. The suspension was working over time trying to keep the car on the road. The damper recovery was slow causing the car to oscillate more when compared to the other German cars. (Remember the GTR, it caught up and I had let it pass when we were doing about 160km/h) Come on Audi, this is supposed to be a sports car, but it just didn’t feel sporty and secure when driving fast. On top of this, what’s with the ugly 17 inch 50 series tires? It made the car look ……. pregnant. (Sorry can’t find another word to describe it)

At the end of the short first drive, I have to say that I was only half impressed. I may be biased here as I tend to like rear wheel driven cars, the front wheel drive TT was just too busy for my liking. But at the rate Audi is delivering more and more new cars to compete, the other Germans better watch out. Ok Audi, when can I try the RS5?

First Drive: 23 Minutes in an Audi TT Coupe!

By Dr Long

In an attempt to better the 6 minutes or 360 seconds drive accorded to the media during the launch the new Perodua Viva, For Wheels set out to break this record at Euromobil, franchise holder and distributor for Audi in Malaysia.

Even with an iconic, sleek and sporty shape like the new TT, this writer was painfully smiling when it was his turn to slip into the driver’s seat. Mind you, it was a lovely, low-slung bucketed bi-grade leather sport seat. After all, he had to endure a previous 20plus minutes drive in the miniature rear seat with another For Wheels’ associate at the wheels. The result was a wry neck due to a prolonged contorted posture of right lateral flexion at his neck.

The engine growl and exhaust note were strikingly familiar the moment the coupe was slotted into ‘D’ and driven out of the showroom compound. They sounded much like its platform-sharing cousin, the (also) iconic Golf GTI Mk5. Seated at the back earlier, even the exhaust blurb on redline-upshifts could be heard, perhaps just a wee bit more muffled than in the VW hatch.

Take-off was brisk and engaging, with the award-winning 2.0TFSI engine pulling ever so willingly and responsively all the way to the redline. It may be a little hoarse towards the absolute top-end but it’s still so bloody lovely. Steering feel was way better than all the A4 variants sampled before, with the flat-bottomed leather-clad item the best in the business. However, it could use a little more weight to things but torque steer was pretty well controlled for a FWD with 280Nm on tap.

Suspension is taut mostly with maybe just the rear springs a tad busy on rough surfaced tarmac. High speed stability was good, with the tester hitting 180kph in a jiff but lateral body control could be firmer, especially on undulating road surfaces. Those expensive but high tech electro-magnetic dampers option may be needed after all.

Ride comfort is liveable for a sport coupe since the TT two occupants are riding way ahead of the rear axle. Headroom is adequate with the lovely roof lining comfortably away from your head. The instruments cluster is bi-pod with a sporty layout and easy to read. The AC controls are very modern and appealing, much like the ones in the R8. The S-Tronic (DSG) ‘box cannot be faulted in both auto and manual mode, but for more urgency and incisiveness, it is better to leave the lever in ‘S’. Interior spells high quality all over except for maybe the grey material of the dashboard which could be a notch more premium; some leather-wrap-and-stitch would do the trick.

If only the writer has RM368k, he’d be learning how to tame this wild stallion cut loose from its barn every day! :)

Related post:

http://for-wheels.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-audi-tt-20tfsi-coupe.html

Lower Prices for Suzuki Swift

Suzuki Malaysia Automobile (SMA) has relaunched its best-selling model, the Suzuki Swift with a lower price tag of RM71,943.50 (with insurance) for the entry level version. The Premier-spec Swift has a sticker price of RM78,099.50. The fully-imported Swift was selling for RM89,783.50 for the base model, and RM94,387.50 for the higher spec model. Only the Swift Premier wears the sporty bodykit now.

SMA expects to sell around 300 units of this cute and lovable hatchback a month. The highlight of this locally-assembled Swift must be the new robotic welding line set up at a cost of RM20million, promising higher and consistent built quality at the AMM plant in Pekan, Pahang. Its drivetrain remains unchanged with the VVT-equipped 1.5-litre engine mated to a 4-speed automatic ‘box.

The new Suzuki Swift Sport was also unveiled by SMA, and is expected to retail at about RM99,000 for the manual version and circa RM104,000 for the automatic variant. Prices are unconfirmed at time of launch, pending final approval from the government.

Kia Sportage Relaunched in Malaysia

Originally launched worldwide in September 2004 and in March 2005 for the Malaysian market, local franchise holder and distributor for KIA vehicles, Naza-KIA has relaunched a locally assembled version of this compact SUV recently. However, it is eye-opening to see this ‘rebadged’ KIA not wearing the “Licensed by KIA” plaque and/or "NAZA" emblem but the real McCoy Korean nameplate!

Originally priced RM121,888 as a CBU model from Korea, this locally-assembled version from Gurun, Kedah now wears a lower sticker price of RM112,000. Naza-Kia believes the model will be the best-buy SUV in town as it features active safety features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Traction Control System (TCS), and Electronic Stability Program (ESP). The 'new' Kia Sportage is powered by a 2.0L DOHC 16-valve engine with CVVT (Continously Variable Valve Timing) churning out 142PS at 6,000rpm and 184Nm at 4,500rpm. Torque is transmitted through a 4-speed Shiftronic (Korean version of Tiptronic) automatic gearbox, to a 4WD system dubbed Active Torque Transfer 4WD. It also comes standard fitted with a six-speaker sound system, trip computer and fog lights, among other things.

On another note, Naza-Kia also announced that the company will introduce two more models by mid-August, a Kia hatchback and sedan, both new and not seen in Malaysia yet. Upbeat on its sales performance, Naza-Kia revealed that it has sold over 11,000 units in the first five months of this year.

Naza-Kia Sdn Bhd expects sales of the enhanced Kia Sportage to reach 1,500 cars this year as it aims to sell 250 units monthly, although the market for the 2.0L SUV is small.

Kia Motors Corp managing director for Asia, Moon Je Ho said although the automotive industry is competitive, he expects 10% growth in sales by 2008 driven by more models to be launched next year.

New BMW F3 and F5

While Mercedes-Benz is contemplating a different model to replace both its A- & B-Class come 2011, its long time arch-rival, BMW, has a 3 Series-based compact MPV (Sportvan) given stamping approval for production. Expected to arrive sometime mid-2010 in both RWD and all-wheel drive (AWD) forms, the F3 will likely share the same engines as the 3-Series and 1-Series. Both BMW’s superb 2.0L turbodiesels will undoubtedly make it under the F3’s hoods in Europe, but these oil burners are unlikely to cross over to the North American market, much like the recently unveiled 1-series coupe.

Previously referred to as the BMW V3, this 5-seater compact MPV will wear an F3 badge when it goes into production by 2010. AutoWeek reported a BMW insider giving the following statement: “We’ve looked carefully at prevailing market trends, and there appears to be a clear shift away from old-style multi-purpose vehicles. By combining the high seating position of a sport/utility vehicle with the space afforded by a traditional station wagon, crossovers appear to be providing a clear alternative to buyers.”

Not surprisingly, the all-wheel drive F3 will share driveline components (xDrive) with the all-new X3, which is due sometime 2009. The F3 is not the first crossover MPV from BMW due for rollout. The Munich automaker had already confirmed in 2005 that it will be building a sports-MPV based on the X5 under the working title RFK (Raumfunktionales Konzept) meaning Space-Functional Concept.

The production model of this Mercedes-Benz R-Class competitor will be dubbed F5 (early rendering as the V5 above) and is scheduled to debut sometime mid-2009. Mercedes-Benz has experienced lacklustre sales of its R-Class sports-tourer MPV practically the world over. Whether BMW can work wonders with this upcoming F5 remains a big question mark, even though the crossover market is a growing segment both in Europe as well as the United States.

After noting the success of the X3 and X5, BMW is looking to capture a wider audience from this burgeoning market with the upcoming F3, which will be marketed as a small crossover MPV promising a sporty drive and flexible utility in one compact package. It will be targeted at motoring enthusiasts who don’t find the X3 interesting or exciting enough, but want something that rides taller and roomier, and possibly more fashionable than the E90 3-series.

Mercedes-Benz to Axe A- and B-Class in 2011?

Getting wind from the German financial newspaper Wirtschafts Woche, luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has reportedly scrapped plans for successor models to its A & B-Class, due for replacements in 2011. In an about turn, an all new sporty compact hatch has been approved for development by Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche in order to compete head on with the sportier Audi A3 and BMW 1-series. News gathered is that this hatch may even spawn a compact coupe to go head on with the recently unveiled BMW 1-series coupe.

Rumours that add fuel to fire are guessing that at best, there may just be a new B-Class hatch, but this will likely be rear-wheel drive, possibly using a shortened platform derived from the new W204 C-Class.

New BMW 1-Series Coupe

By Dr Long

BMW has given a new lease of life to its beleaguered 1-series hatchback - by adding a rump to the rear - resulting in the new 1-Series Coupe.

To be available soon in Europe, the 1-Series Coupe will wear 3 different badges:
120d, turbodiesel 2.0L 4-cylinder, with 177hp and 350Nm.
123d, 2.0L twin-turbocharged diesel, offering 204hp and 400Nm.
135i, with 306hp and 400Nm, from BMW’s award winning twin-turbo 3.0L in-line 6.

Meanwhile, the for U.S. and Canadian market, the BMW 1-series Coupe will also be offered in 128i guise (apart from the 135i), powered by naturally aspirated but detuned 3.0L magnesium-alloy straight six, capable of 230hp and 270Nm of torque. There will be no turbodiesels for the North American market.

The 120d coupe will sprint from 0 -100km/h in 7.6secs while the 123d coupe will be a little quicker at 7 secs to the century. The top-of-the-line 135i coupe will launch from standstill to 100km/h in a mere 5.3 secs, and likely zippier in real life than the similar-engined 335i due to its lighter kerb weight.

How soon will we see this better looking 1-series in Asia or even Malaysia is anybody’s guess at this point in time.