Rowdy Audi: TT Looks Meaner for 2019

Come the next model year, the Audi TT could wear a few updates that make ordinary versions look more like the high-powered TT RS. The German luxury brand announced what it calls “a comprehensive update” on the car overseas, with meaner-looking bumper openings that give even the base TT a hunkered-down look that recalls the higher-powered TTS and TT RS. Specifics are still pending, but Audi’s U.S. arm confirmed that we’ll get a TT with similar updates for the 2019 model year.

Related: 2017 Audi RS 3 Vs. 2018 Audi TT RS: Performance at a Price

On the European car (pictured), Audi says the revised bumper emphasizes more width even in base models. Currently, those cars in the U.S. have a U-shaped opening that snakes a smiling expression around the grille. Should Audi ditch that for the separated outer inlets it currently reserves for the TTS and TT RS, as overseas photos of the 2019 TT suggest, we wouldn’t be opposed. With an S Line Package, the outer openings on the updated TT get separate vertical inlets reminiscent of today’s 400-horsepower TT RS. Likewise, the rear of S Line model adds vertical strakes like on the current TTS and TT RS.

Inside, the TT still employs Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3-inch configurable gauge display that incorporates multimedia and navigation information. A new display mode can show how much engine power you’re currently using, as well as torque and G-force. There should be some more go to match the show, as Audi promises “higher-powered engines” and more standard features for the overseas car. Exact outputs weren’t revealed, however.

Nor were any specifics for the stateside model. Asked if shoppers across the pond will see similar updates for the TT, U.S. Audi spokeswoman Amelia Fine-Morrison told Cars.com that “we haven’t released full details for the U.S. model just yet, but the simple answer is yes, we will see a similar model for 2019.”

The updated TT goes on sale in Europe in the fall. Stay tuned for more details on its U.S. counterpart.

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