Audi TT To Be Reborn As Crossover EV

Exclusive Slow-selling coupé and drop-top to be killed off, and replaced by an SUV with full-electric powertrain

- Jonathan Burn

AUDI bosses have finally settled on a proposal for the next-generation TT, which will morph into a fully electric crossover, Auto Express can reveal.

There has been a fierce boardroom battle within the German company over how the next TT should evolve. It’s been a debate that has raged since 2014 when the firm’s then-boss, Rupert Stadler (who was later charged and removed from his position for his involvement in the VW Group’s Dieselgate scandal), proposed the idea that the model could develop into a petrol-powered five-door Sportback or crossover model.

Since then, Audi has fast-tracked its electrification plans, and dwindling sales for today’s TT have forced the firm into a radical rethink for the next model. So far this year, Audi has sold only 8,756 coupé and 3,362 roadster editions of the TT globally.

Auto Express understands that the upcoming, fourth-generation TT also has a working title, eTTron. This clearly indicates Audi’s strategy to completely incorporate the model into its line-up of full EVs.

As previewed in our exclusive images, the model will morph into a sporty crossover, with a length of around 4.35 meters. That will make it more compact than a Q3 but, more significantly, it will be much lower.

There will also be a dramatic overhaul inside, too; the current TT set new standards in the industry with its digital cockpit display and absence of center console. Audi intends to emulate that in the next model, with a cabin that will do away with switches and dials completely and rely on Tesla-style digital displays for the car’s operations.