2016 Audi TT exclusive unveiling

At a very intimate setting at 130 West in Vancouver, OpenRoad Audi unveiled the new TT coupé and roadster (aka convertible) to its valued customers this past week. 

Watch the these video  to see the unveiling. 

 

This all-new car is lighter, faster, and more fuel-efficient that ever before, having shed an extra 90 lbs over top of the second-generation TT, which was already lighter than the original by 200 lbs.

When the TT was first conceived in the mid-1990s, Audi knew that it had a game-changer on its hands. The concept car blew the minds of both auto journalists and the public when it was unveiled in at the 1995 Frankfurt Auto Show.

The overwhelmingly positive reception to the concept TT was enough to convince Audi to build the car for the masses.

When the actual production vehicle was unveiled, the public absolutely fell in-love with it as it retained much of the good looks of the concept vehicle.

The TT (along with the R8) has certainly established Audi’s credentials in the world of automotive design. Many say that it is a statement of the company’s commitment to precision engineering.

This latest Audi TT is more revolution than evolution, similar corporate good looks of the all-new R8 supercar. In the spirit of the first-generation TT, this latest car is still a design showcase.

What’s new? A lot! Compared to the outgoing model, the new TT is actually 21 mm shorter and 10 mm narrower. However the wheelbase is 37 mm longer. The platform is now a hybrid aluminium/steel platform, which Audi promises has been designed for improved torsional rigidity.

In the TT roadster, a new powered soft top can be operated at speeds up to 50 km/hr and opens/closes in a speedy 10 seconds. Audi’s engineers have also designed the top to take up even less space than ever before.

Because it is a soft top and not a folding hardtop, there is still 280 litres of cargo space available, enough for a quick weekend jaunt out of town.

Both coupé and roadster are available with Audi’s LED lighting package (for $1,100) which includes brighter and white LED-based headlights with LED turn signals, LED tail lights with dynamic turn signals, and LED All-Weather lights.

Under the hood is a 2.0-litre direct-injection turbocharged four cylinder engine shared with the Audi A3. This mill generates 230 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque at a low 1,600 rpms.

Audi promises improved fuel economy with official figures coming in at 7.8L/100 kms and 10.1L/100 kms on the highway.

If you’re looking for more power, Audi once again offers the sportier TTS. This model shares the same 2.0-litre displacement as the TT, but has been upgraded and tweaked to produce 310 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque.

As with other Audis, Quattro full-time all-wheel-drive is standard equipment, as is Audi’s rapid shifting 6-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission.

The highlight of the revised interior is Audi’s virtual cockpit which comes in the form of a 12.3 inch LCD instrument cluster versus traditional gauges.

This system can also be fitted with Audi’s Navigation Package ($1,800), putting a beautiful full-colour high resolution map right in front of the driver.

The result is a clean, simple, and elegant look that fits in perfectly with the TT’s character. It’s really something you have to see in person to fully appreciate!

The 2016 Audi TT Coupé starts at CDN $51,600, the TT Roadster at $55,600, and the TTS Coupé at $61,900.

More photos below…

Top 5 Luxury SUVs at the 2015 Vancouver International Auto Show

The 2015 Vancouver International Autoshow is bigger than ever before this year. Now in its 95th year, the show boasts 25 per cent more floor space and even more vehicles at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

If you’re in the market for a new luxury SUV, here are my Top 5 Luxury SUV Picks for you to visit before the show shuts down this Sunday at 6pm.

2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport

The new Land Rover Discovery Sport makes its regional debut at this year’s Vancouver autoshow. It stands out from its posh compact-ute rivals for one simple and moderately compelling reason—it can actually go off-road, at least sometimes.

Photo by Andrew Ling

Based on the same platform as the wildly popular Range Rover Evoque, the Discovery Sport can’t match the ground clearance of its LR4, Range Rover, or Range Rover Sport siblings for pure wilderness-challenging ability.

However, the Disco Sport’s 8.3 inches of ground clearance is more than respectable for the occasional jaunt to the campgrounds or the country cottage. Land Rover also claims approach, departure, and breakover angles of 25, 31, and 31 degrees for the Sport, plus a wading depth of 23.6 inches.

In other words, that’s better offroadability than your typical BMW X3, Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK competitors.

Land Rover is also setting the Discovery Sport against its German rivals with the option of “5+2″ seating, with the ability to carry up to 7 passengers. No other compact luxury SUV offers such a feature. The “+2” is essentially a child-only fold-down third row that slides beneath the cargo floor when not in use.

2016 BMW X5 M / X6 M

The BMW X5 has the distinction of being not only one of the first true luxury SUVs, but also one of the first seriously fast SUVs.

Now BMW is launching the second iteration of the X5 M, which is based on the third-generation X5, alongside its less practical X6 M Sport Activity Coupe sibling.

With a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 rated at 567 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, the X5 M (and X6 M) is even quicker to trot than its predecessor with its official 0 to 100 km/hr sprint taking just over four seconds. That’s faster than many pure two seater sports cars!

Like the X6 M, the X5 M wears massive 285/35 tires up front and 325/30 rubber in the rear; 21-inch wheels are standard equipment.

As is usual in the latest BMW M models, the driver can fettle with the adjustable shocks, steering, transmission program, and throttle mapping through multiple modes using dedicated buttons for each.

Inside, the X5 M and X6 M both feature bespoke M-specific bits from the steering wheel and seats to the onscreen M Drive menu.

The exteriors of both vehicles also wear unique M front and rear styling cues, setting them apart from their more pedestrian non-M models.

2015 Lexus NX200t / NX300h

And now for something smaller (and more affordable).

With the new Lexus NX, Lexus is looking for a younger demographic than its RX mid-sized SUV.

The mid-sized RX is too big and pricey to attack the growing number of compact luxo utes and this is where the NX fits in.

Instead of the rounded and conservative silhouette associated with the RX, the NX breaks through with its brand-identifying Lexus “spindle” grille and aggressive body creases and folds.

There are two models available, the NX200t and the NX300h, available with front or four-wheel drive.

The 200t marks Lexus’s first turbocharged gas engine, in this case a 235-hp 2.0-liter four. It also will be available in mildly sportier F Sport guise.

The 300h is a hybrid with a gasoline 2.5-liter four cylinder engine and an electric motor combining to deliver 194 horsepower. You can even test drive the Lexus NX300h yourself in the Green Drive program running outside the Vancouver Convention Centre till this Sunday.

2015 Infiniti QX80 Limited

The Infiniti QX80 was substantially updated for the 2014 model year and remains as one of the few full-sized SUVs on the market with the ability to tow up to 8,500 lbs while still being able to transport 7 or 8 passengers in luxury.

Recently introduced is the QX80 in a new “Limited” trim level, offering subtle exterior upgrades and a sophisticated interior evocative of an executive boardroom.

Available in limited numbers only starting from May 2015 and exclusively as a 7-passenger model, the QX80 Limited’s exterior features dark finished, 22-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, dark chromed exterior trim, and unique stainless steel running board caps with rubber grips.

This vehicle certainly takes the word “premium” to another level.

Photo courtesy of Infiniti Canada

The luxurious interior includes semi-aniline Truffle Brown leather appointments with an exclusive quilted pattern, open pore matte finish ash wood trim, an Ultrasuede headliner and pillars, leather-appointed grab handles and speaker grilles, unique floor and trunk mats, and unique silver switchgear trim on the centre stack.

2016 Audi Q7

Among three-row vehicles, few can match the Q7 in terms of style. It is as chic as it is spacious.

The 2016 Audi Q7 debuts as an all-new vehicle with Audi’s next generation styling and impressive weight savings to the tune of 717 pounds. This should pay dividends when it comes to fuel economy and performance.

Even though the 2016 Q7 is virtually the same height as the old one, clever visual tricks like the matte-aluminum trim surface between the front and rear wheels, the gently tapering roofline, and the powerful fender flares make it look lower, wider, and longer. In fact, the new Q7 looks more wagon-like than ever.

The low-rider vibe isn’t merely visual though. Audi’s relocation of the engine lower in the chassis has yanked the Q7’s center of gravity down by a claimed 2 inches, helping to improve its driving dynamics.

Audi has been well known for its impressive use of the latest lighting technology and the 2016 Q7 continues on with that trend. The headlights’ LED daytime running lamps now form pairs of arrow-shaped elements, as do the LED tail lights out back.

As you would expect with most luxury SUVs, there is a load of the latest active safety technology to compliment the latest in driving dynamic enhancements.

Carried over from Audi’s sports cars are systems such as a brake-based torque-vectoring system and an electronically controlled center differential. The latter can vary the all-wheel-drive system’s torque split from the standard 40/60-percent front-to-rear to 70/30 or 15/85 as conditions dictate.

Optional rear-wheel steering promises to enhance stability at higher speeds by slightly turning the rear wheels in concert with the fronts. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn opposite to the fronts to greatly improve parking lot agility on such a large vehicle.

Best green vehicles at 2015 Vancouver International Auto Show

2015 Vancouver International Auto Show
Visitors to the 2015 Vancouver Auto Show are treated to a wide assortment vehicles, including many green models. Photos by Benjamin Yong.

The 95th Vancouver International Auto Show (VIAS) is happening right now at the Vancouver Convention Centre, and is quite literally bigger, and better, than ever before. Exhibition space has grown by one-quarter this year, to 290,000 square feet, and for the first time the displays spill over to the upstairs ballroom. Fittingly, since it takes place in B.C., VIAS features a heavy focus on alternative-energy automobiles fuelled by diesel, electricity and even hydrogen. These are the green vehicles you’ll want to see.

Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept

Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept

You may have heard about Toyota’s production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle already on sale in Japan and about to hit the roads in the United States later this year. While no Canadian expansion plans have been announced yet, Toyota debuted the Fuel Cell Concept (FCV) that provided the inspiration for the Mirai for the first time in Canada.

The Mirai was actually tested in Yellowknife in -30 C weather to evaluate cold-weather effectiveness. The space-age looking sedan creates electricity by utilizing a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, refuels in about the same time as a conventional gasoline-powered car and can drive up to 500 kilometres on a single tank.

Audi A3 Sportback e-Tron

Audi A3 Sportback e-Tron

The A3 Sportback e-Tron, Audi’s first plug-in hybrid, made its first regional appearance at VIAS.  Besides a few badges and some minor exterior tweaks to the grille and rear bumper, this hybrid looks remarkably similar to the standard version. Power is provided via a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine combined with a 75-kilowatt electric motor making 204 net horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.

Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon TDI Clean Diesel

Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon TDI Clean Diesel

VW is in Vancouver to prove that even with the crossover SUV craze taking place across North America, wagon’s haven’t quite called it quits. It’s been a good year for the Golf, reaping several industry awards, and the Sportwagon should continue that trend. The diesel powertrain provides plenty of torque and achieves great fuel economy rated at 7.5 L/100 km in city driving at 5.6 L/100 km on the highway.

2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Although Hyundai also has a plug-in version coming, it is the standard Sonata Hybrid making the trip to Vancouver. As part of the redesign, the engine is a smaller and more efficient 2.0 litre vs. the outgoing 2.4. The battery pack has a 13 per cent bigger capacity, and now fits under the trunk floor so the rear seats can fold 60/40.

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell

In addition to the Hybrid, the majority of the public had their first chance to get an up-close look at the 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell, the first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle available to Canadians. Available to limited consumers through a lease program, the first lucky owners are a local couple living in Surrey.

Porsche 918 Spyder at 2015 Vancouver International Auto Show

Porsche 918 Spyder

Some visitors to Porsche Centre Langley have already experienced the spectacle that is the $1.3-million Porsche 918 Spyder in person. The hybrid supercar, one of three sold in B.C., uses two electric motors and a 4.6-litre V8 engine to achieve a top speed of 340 km/h.   

The 2015 Vancouver International Auto Show runs until March 29. More pictures below:

2015 Vancouver International Auto Show entrance

Stephen Beatty vice president, Corporate Toyota Canada

Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept rear

Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept side

Audi A3 Sportback e-Tron rear

Audi A3 Sportback e-Tron interior

BMW i3 and i8 at 2015 Vancouver International Auto Show

2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid rear

2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid cutaway

Hyundai Blue Drive