Audi tried to respond to the Mercedes-Benz CLA’s success with the A3 Sedan, but, frankly, these two cars are simply not in the same league. So that Audi tries to impress CLA’s fans with the TT Sportback concept. Mercedesblog.com is analyzing if the future model is going to be a strong rival for the CLA.
At this year’s edition of Paris Motorshow, Audi had some interesting news that drew attention of the Mercedes-Benz officials: the facelift of the Audi A6/S6/RS6/Allroad is a direct answer to the facelifted E-Class, while the facelift of the A7/S7/RS7 is meant to counteract the newly facelifted CLS. And, of course, the new TT Roadster is going to be a strong contender for the SLK.
Audi TT Sportback Concept – How spacious?
But then we found a big surprise in the Audi’s stand: the Audi TT Sportback Concept. I admit, we should have seen it coming after a crossover concept and a shooting brake. They are both based on the new TT Coupe. But the most interesting part is that, if it’s going to get the greenlight from the Audi officials, the future Audi TT Sporback is going to be the main competitor to the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Which can transform into a big battle, don’t you think?
From this angle, which one would you choose? The CLA has smoother lines and an elegant stance, while the TT Sporback is very compact and nervous
The term “Sportback” makes it clear that the body of the Audi TT Sporback is a fastback 4+1 doors with a very curved roof. So that the car looks almost as elegant as a CLA. Maybe the same or even more, it depends on the viewers preferences. But this TT Sporback is clearly more desirable that an A3 Sedan as a lifestyle car that can compete neck-to-neck against the CLA.
The TT Sportback is clearly shorter than the CLA (4.47 metres Audi, 4.63 metres Mercedes). But the 2.63 meters wheelbase of the TT Sportback is very close to the 2.70 meters wheelbase of the CLA’s. This means the two passengers in the back have an adequate space for their legs. We don’t know how spacious the boot is (CLA’s is surprisingly generous with 470 litres). But the tailgate is more practical than the CLA’s boot lid. We are curious whether the aerodynamics of the TT Sporback is better or at least very close to the CLA’s.
The CLA is luxury oriented, whil the TT Sporback is a gadget maniac
The TT Sportback uses the VW’s MQB modular platforms, so the car could be less costly than a CLA. But maybe you’re more interested in the power and performance, and this is an area where TT Sporback promises much. The concept has a 2.0-liter TFSI engine that develops 400 HP and 450 Nm. Resources are transferred to a quattro four-wheel drive system and menaging just 3.9 seconds for 0-100 km/h. Well, the CLA 45 AMG should respect that, because its “only” 360 HP and 450 NM can propel the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds. That’s going to be challenging!
Watch out, CLA 45 AMG, the future TT Sporback will pack a more powerful turbo 2.0 liter engine!
But only if the officials from Ingolstadt want a production Audi TT Sporback – if they do, we expect the first real contender for the CLA to be on the market as soon as 2016. Until then, the little 4-door coupe from Mercedes-Benz will only grow its fan club…
