2016 Audi TTS Review: Beauty, Performance and Luxury
The 2016 Audi TTS is changing the way people think about luxury performance coupes with exciting design, cutting-edge technology and advanced on-road capabilities.
For the latest model year, the performance-tuned TTS embodies a more aggressive design language, and backs up its new looks with even more power — the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine now lays down 292 horsepower, a gain of 27 HP over last year’s model.
Helping to turn heads is the TTS’s updated front fascia, which includes model-specific vents and also features a broader, more prominent Platinum Gray Singleframe front grille. Strong, angular lines flow from the front into the contours of the hood and the side of the car, and nicely frame the standard full-LED headlights.
Completing the look of the rear-end is a lower valance diffuser, a deployable spoiler and quad exhaust outlets.
When you have a car of this caliber, all you want to do is drive. It doesn’t matter if there’s no end-game — just being in the car puts a smile on your face. But things are always better when there’s a destination, and I had the perfect place to share the goodness of the TTS: Euro Wednesdays at Quickly Irvine.
This bi-weekly gathering of European car enthusiasts brings out an eclectic mix of sports and luxury cars, but this time around, it was the TTS and my friend @veecious’s 700 horsepower 2016 Audi RS7 that stole the show.
A spontaneous photoshoot erupted over the Vegas Yellow TTS and the matte-wrapped, special-ordered Nogaro Blue RS7, and the results were awesome.
With the streets empty and a long drive home ahead of me, it was the perfect opportunity to really enjoy and appreciate the finer side of the TTS, specifically the interior appointments and in-car technology.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, your eyes are immediately drawn to the beautiful Audi virtual cockpit, which replaces the traditional instrument cluster with a vibrant 12.3-inch display that delivers 3D visuals at 60 frames per second. This panoramic setting is the car’s one and only infotainment hub, and allows navigation, music, phone and a number of Audi Connect apps to be displayed full-screen for easy delivery of information.
Buttons and dials on the flat-bottom sport steering wheel let you access and configure the virtual cockpit while maintaining your focus on the road ahead.
Alternatively, you can use the MMI touch system located just below the drive selector to manage your infotainment needs. The touch pad on the dial recognizes handwriting and gestures, allowing you to quickly enter text for navigation or entertainment searches.
Keeping the front passengers comfortable and secure are heated 12-way power adjustable sport seats with lumbar adjustment and pneumatic side bolsters. Finding the perfect driving position is easy, no matter how big or small you are.
Daily-driving the 2016 Audi TTS is a dream thanks to its magnetic ride suspension which provides a smooth and confident experience. Imperfections of the pavement are quickly canceled out, but the lightweight chassis and electromechanical power steering still deliver plenty of feedback for precise control.
Of course, the TTS really comes alive when you set it to Dynamic mode using the Audi drive select. Steering, suspension and throttle response become heightened, and the new quattro all-wheel-drive system takes on a rear-wheel power bias for maximum performance capability.
While in Dynamic mode, the six-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission holds each gear higher into the revs to keep the turbocharged engine in its optimum torque range (which starts at an impressive 1,900 RPM). The driver can take over at any time with the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, but either way, acceleration g-forces are uninterrupted as the TTS cycles through its gears with urgency.
Straight-line speed isn’t the only thing that this sports coupe excels at though, and it only takes one tight corner to figure out that the new quattro all-wheel drive system is beyond impressive. Audi’s signature drivetrain system takes 150 readings every 10 milliseconds to determine the amount of available traction at all four wheels, and then responds by varying torque delivery between the front and rear axles.
The result is seemingly endless grip during cornering — the TTS digs into the pavement looking for every last bit of traction, and gives the sensation of being on rails. The harder you push it, the more you tap into its potential. It’s the best kind of confidence-booster for a driving enthusiast.
The 2016 Audi TTS is one of those cars that always stays on your mind. Its luxury, connectivity and versatility make you want to drive off into the sunset and never look back. And with an EPA estimated fuel efficiency of 23 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, you can definitely go the distance.
See even more features of the 2016 Audi TTS and spec your very own sports coupe at Audi’s official website.
