Review of the new Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro

Using less fuel and emitting less carbon dioxide than its petrol counterparts, the Audi TT TDI diesel would appear to be a greener alternative. However, you will pay an £1,100 premium over the quicker and more charismatic 2.0TFSI petrol models. Cost effective? That depends on your definition of the term.

The reason why diesel sporting cars have taken so long to establish a toe hold is one of perception. A coupe is all about slick excess. The very fact that you've paid more than the equivalent saloon for less space and more style should identify you as someone with the money to put fashion above economy. Sticking a diesel engine in it would tend to blow the gaff. That was the case in the past when a diesel engine was about as difficult to disguise as a horn growing out of your forehead. These days, things are very different, as the Audi TT TDI demonstrates.

Powered by a smooth 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine, there aren't too many clues that this car drinks from the black rather than the green pump. Available in both Coupe and Roadster guises, the TT TDI is an intriguing proposition but is it one that makes commercial sense?

The first question most will ask will be whether the TT TDI is quick enough. Clearly this depends on your definition of fast, but a sprint to 60mph in just 7.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 140mph is a decent showing from this 169bhp engine. Quattro four wheel drive helps you get the power onto the tarmac too. Compare that with the 197bhp 2.0TFSI petrol TT quattro, which posts a sprint to 60mph in 7.5 seconds before running on to a top speed of 140mph, though bear in mind that the petrol car is also offered with the desirable twin-clutch S-tronic gearbox. Still, revving to 5,000rpm, this diesel engine is an impressive unit and the torque figure of 350Nm knocks the 2.0T petrol model's 280Nm into next week. Even the 3.2-litre V6 quattro models only manage 320Nm. Overtaking, therefore, is not a big problem for this diesel version.

One of the more interesting options for the TT TDI is some very special dampers. Bear with me here, because I appreciate that dampers may not seem the most eye-catching part of the TT's specification sheet but they're well worth a mention. Press a button on the gearlever and a voltage is applied to tiny magnetic particles swimming in the damper oil, changing their polarity and, in turn, either firming up or softening the damper in milliseconds.

"There aren't too many clues that this car drinks from the black rather than the green pump.."

Apart from its quattro four-wheel drive, this TT is, in effect, not hugely different under the skin to a Volkswagen Golf GT Sport TDI, which uses the same 170PS engine: or so you might think. Whereas the Golf uses steel for its suspension components, the TT uses expensive and lighter aluminium.

What's more, Audi have pioneered a method of using aluminium and steel components in tandem with each other, overcoming the electrolytic corrosion issues that have plagued other manufacturers who have tinkered with this approach. Some 69 per cent of the body is aluminium with the other 31 per cent steel, which means that this diesel models weighs in at just 1,370kg in Coupe form. To put that figure into perspective, a Nissan 350Z weighs 1,545kg. The exterior styling looks no different to the petrol-engined cars and such is the refinement of modern diesel engines, it's doubtful passengers or passers by will notice.

Equipment levels for the TT 2.0 TDI quattro (there's no front-driven model) are strong and prices are pitched at either £26,350 for the Coupe or £38,350 for the Roadster: in other words, the same as you'd pay for the equivalent 200bhp 2.0TFSI TT quattro, a model that is, by virtually universal consent, the pick of the TT range.

Where the TT TDI really differentiates itself is in offering a dfferent slant on coupe and roadster ownership. If you want all the style but need to pare back the ongoing running costs, the list of rivals isn't actually all that big. There''s the diesel version of the Peugeot 406 coupe, but that's neither agile enough nor wears the right badge to compete head on with the Audi.

BMW and Mercedes don't have anything directly comparable, BMW in particular missing a huge trick by not putting the 282bhp twin turbo 3.0-litre diesel in the Z4 body. The Mercedes CLC is a vastly improved package but lacks the dynamic tactility of a TT. Specification for UK TT TDI models includes 17-inch Trapez alloy wheels, leather and Alcantara sports seats, electronic climate control and a 140-watt MP3 compatible Audi Concert audio system. The Roadster features a fully automatic soft top and an integrated wind deflector.

It's in calculating the overall cost of ownership that dictates whether the TT TDI is a viable proposition. It can't hope to match the 2.0T petrol model for speed or agility, but in offering 90 per cent of its capability at significantly lower ongoing costs, the TT TDI could make a case for itself. Certainly the fuel consumption figure of 53.3mpg looks eye-catching. Compare that to the 36.7mpg for the 2.0TFSI model and by the time you'd covered 12,000 miles, the average for first year ownership, you'd have saved £400 in fuel costs alone. Plus there are the stronger residual values of the diesel car weighing in its favour.

And that's before you take into account the tax savings made in having a car that emits just 140g/km of carbon dioxide, compared to the 2.0TFSI's still creditable but hardly negligible 183g/km. Servicing costs will be slightly higher for the diesel car but over a typical three year ownership period, the diesel TT more than makes a case for itself in terms of pounds and pence.

At first, the Audi TT TDI seems to be a contradiction. It's much like getting all glammed up for a night out and then teaming the dazzling outfit with your most sensible shoes. A diesel engine wouldn't be on most people's wish list when specifying their dream coupe or roadster but when real life intervenes, it becomes a very smart selection. Certainly the diesel engine Audi has selected has not much to be said against it.

Audi has also managed to steal a march on its key opponents with a proper sporty diesel thoroughbred coupe model and many of its rivals will wait and see how well this car is received before deciding whether to follow suit. I'd hesitate to recommend it over the charismatic 2.0TFSI variant, as the cost benefits aren't huge for most typical users and the petrol car is usefully quicker, but for company car user choosers and those looking for a stylish car with modest running costs, the Audi TT TDI looks to inhabit a viable niche.

TOP 5 TT DEALS

The results below show the top TT deals on buyacar

Audi TT 2.5T FSI TT RS Quattro 2dr [2011] Rs Roadster
Price £43,139 Read TT Reviews	Save £3,271
Audi TT 2.5T FSI TT RS Quattro 2dr [2011] Rs Coupe
Price £41,364 Read TT Reviews	Save £3,106
Audi TT 2.0T FSI Sport 2dr S Tronic [2011] Coupe
Price £25,912 Read TT Reviews	Save £2,013
Audi TT 2.5T FSI TT RS Quattro 2dr Rs Coupe
Price £42,652 Read TT Reviews	Save £1,568
Audi TT 1.8T FSI 2dr [2011] Roadster
Price £22,952 Read TT Reviews	Save £1,738
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