New Audi TT to start under £30,000

Audi has released prices on its third gen TT, which will arrive in the UK at the end of this year.

The MQB-based sports car - once beloved of the follicular enhancement community but now far more of a proper driver's thing - will launch with the choice of two familiar engines: the 227bhp 2.0 TFSI petrol, and the 181bhp 2.0 TDI diesel.

The former will start at £29,860, with the latter weighing in £90 cheaper. If you want to go quattro and flappy-paddle gearbox - the TT is front-wheel drive with a six-speed manual as standard - that'll cost you just under £3,000 more, with the cabrio commanding a £2,550 premium over the coupe.

That represents a jump of around £2000 on today's 2.0 TFSI TT, but not only is the new car 20-odd bhp more powerful, but it's loaded with more kit too.

All TTs will get Audi's ‘virtual cockpit' - a 12.3-inch, hi-res configurable LCD display that replaces the traditional instrument binnacle - along with Bluetooth and Audi's adaptive ‘drive select' system, which allows you to alter throttle and steering response.

The new TT might be a little more expensive to buy than the outgoing model, but it should be cheaper to run. The petrol version will get from 0-62mph in 6.0 seconds (5.3 with quattro and DSG), and officially return 47.9mpg and 137g/km of CO2. The diesel TT will do the 0-62mph sprint in 7.1 seconds, with eco-stats of 67.3mpg and 110g/km. Audi claims this latter figure is a ‘new record low in the sports car world'.

Just think: what you'll save on your tax disc, you can spend on extensions...