Audi starts production of new TT in Hungary

Mon, 04 Aug 2014

Audi sure made waves when it rolled out the original TT in the late 1990s, putting fashion forward with a stylish coupe that neatly summed up the design direction the company was headed in. But that was a decade and a half ago, and the TT has moved on considerably since then.

The German automaker has since revealed its third-generation TT, replacing the original twice over with ever-more performance-focused but no less stylish successors along the way. But it wasn't until last week that the first new MkIII TT rolled off the assembly line.

That took place, of course, in Gyor at Audi Hungaria Motor Kft. It's the same assembly plant that handles the company's A3 sedan and cabrio, with the facility also handling final assembly of the TT ever since the factory opened in 1997 and the model began rolling off the line in '98. Last November, the plant in Hungary built its 500,000th TT, and now officials are ushering in the era of the new model.

Audi Hungaria: Start of production of the new Audi TT Coupe

- Third generation of the model goes into series production
- The compact sports car is produced completely in Gyor
- Dr. Hubert Waltl, Board of Management Member for Production at AUDI AG: "Experienced Hungarian team will contribute towards the worldwide success of the new TT"

The third generation of the Audi TT* and the TTS Coupe is now going into series production at AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. Following last year's start of production of the Audi A3 Sedan, the S3 Sedan and the new A3 Cabriolet, the new Audi TT is now also leaving the assembly lines at the automobile plant in Gyor. Audi produces this model there with the full depth of manufacturing. The most impressive features of the Audi TT are its sporty character and emotive design, as well as innovative technologies in its drivetrain and its operating and display concept.

"Our site in Hungary has delivered a convincing performance for many years with cars built in premium quality. This is achieved with a flexible and experienced team. With their great expertise, they will contribute towards continuing the worldwide success of the TT, now in its third generation," stated Dr. Hubert Waltl, Board of Management Member for Production at AUDI AG.

Thomas Faustmann, Managing Director of AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft., emphasized: "Production of the new Audi TT with full depth of manufacturing is the pinnacle of automobile production in Gyor. This success story already started 15 years ago with the assembly of the first generation of the Audi TT Coupe." He continued: "In total, Audi Hungaria has produced more than half a million units of the TT in recent years, in a successful cooperation with the plant in Ingolstadt."

"The new generation of the Audi TT is the third model that Audi is completely producing in the new car plant at our site in Hungary," stated Gerd Walker, Automobile Production Director at Audi Hungaria. "The successful model integration on the new production line is an important activity for the Gyor production site: This means that the plant is now operating at full capacity."

Meanwhile, well over 3,000 employees work at the new car plant. Of that total, 800 specialists were already active on the former car assembly line in the engine plant. All of the employees working on car production have participated in an extensive course of training at the specially established project and training center of Audi Hungaria and at Audi's production sites in Germany.

Series production of the first generation of the Audi TT began in 1998. The second generation of the sports car followed in the year 2006, and production of the Audi TT RS started in 2009. Last November, the 500,000th Audi TT rolled off the assembly line in Gyor with the 25 millionth engine, a four-cylinder 2.0-liter TFSI. Audi presented the third generation of the Audi TT to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show this March.

The third generation of the fascinating TT compact sports car has emotive design and dynamic qualities. The new coupe features innovative technologies in its drivetrain and its operating and display concept – a particular highlight is the Audi virtual cockpit. The operating concept of the new TT is an entirely new development. When the Audi TT was launched in 1998, its design was regarded as revolutionary; its strictly geometrical, formally closed profile made it into an icon with enormous charisma.

With the new TT generation, Audi's designers have once again applied those ideas and placed them in a new context, which is both dynamic and multifaceted. Audi offers the new TT and TTS with three different four-cylinder engines with turbocharging and direct fuel injection; their power output ranges from 135 kW (184 hp) to 228 kW (310 hp). The two TFSI gasoline engines and the TDI combine sporty power with pioneering efficiency. The start-stop system is standard equipment.

Audi TT/TTS:
Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 4,2 – 7,1;
Combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 110 – 164

By Noah Joseph