Consumer News Just in: 2012 Audi TT Roadster

Picking up our new 2012 Audi TT Roadster on the first over-70 degree day this year in Connecticut is definitely not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Redesigned in 2008 and based on the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf, the TT is in its second-generation--but we haven't yet tested one. While other prestige roadsters, namely the BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK, are moving to turbocharged four-cylinder engines, the TT has been that way for years. Its 2.0-liter, 211-hp turbocharged four-cylinder is the same engine that we've enjoyed in the VW GTI and Jetta GLI. However, unlike those cars, the TT comes only with a dual-clutch automated manual transmission. You can't get a clutch pedal in a TT unless you go for the rare, full-tilt TT RS with its five-cylinder turbo. That probably reflects buying patterns, but seems something of a shame.

All TTs have Audi's "quattro" all-wheel-drive system. You'd think that makes them great cars in the snow, but TTs also have standard summer performance tires. You'll need to opt for the available all-seasons--or use winter tires--if you live where it snows.

Finding our TT roadster wasn't easy, especially given that there aren't many sitting around dealer's lots. It didn't help that most of them are black on black. (We prefer to test--and photograph--bright-colored cars that will look snappy in the magazine and online.) Our TT was located at and shipped from a Chicago-area dealer to our local dealer, who had to swap out a rare-as-hens-teeth Audi Q5 2.0T allotment to get it. (Audi has been running rather lean on supply as of late.) When this happens, bargaining becomes moot.

Read More: http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/03/just-in-2012-audi-tt-roadster.html

Next Audi A3 To Offer Diesel, Hybrid, CNG Options Globally

Audi’s newly-revamped A3 will begin hitting European showrooms late this year, with U.S. deliveries set to begin in early 2013.
In addition to a new A3 sedan model, so far shown only as a "Concept," Audi is branching out with new drivetrain options for A3 buyers.

In Europe, consumers will get a new 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine option that’s said to produce just 99 g/km of carbon dioxide, but it’s not likely that engine will make it to this side of the pond.

Instead, U.S. diesel buyers are expected to get an updated version of the existing 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine with a revised cylinder head and new fuel injection system.
The new turbodiesel A3 model will make more horsepower, and will likely deliver improved fuel economy.

Audi’s A3 is often cited as a counter-argument to the claim from automakers that “American’s won’t buy diesels.”

Last year, 55-percent of A3 models sold in the U.S. were TDI variants, which sounds impressive until you factor those 3.608 sales against Audi's total sales of 117,561 units. In other words, the A3 TDI made up just 3 percent of Audi's U.S. sales last year.

Wards Auto says that European A3 buyers will get a compressed natural gas (CNG) version of the A3 in 2013, followed by a hybrid variant in 2014. Audi says that U.S. sales of the CNG version “are being considered,” presumably to offer an upscale alternative to the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas.

Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1073850_next-audi-a3-to-offer-diesel-hybrid-cng-options-globally