Audi's new generation TT series will enjoy its US premiere alongside the facelifted A6 and A7, and a mystery concept that has yet to be named, at next week's Los Angeles Auto Show.

While already available in other markets, Audi's new sports model won't arrive in U.S. dealerships before the second half of 2015 as a 2016MY, with pricing to be released close to the on sale date.

In the States, the third-gen TT will be available as Coupe and Roadster flavors with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four delivering 220hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, while the sportier TTS only as a Coupe boasting a 2.0-liter TFSI with 292hp and 280 lb-ft.

Audi said all TT models with have a six-speed dual clutch S tronic transmission and standard quattro all-wheel drive.

Power bumped to 310 HP

ABT Sportsline has released their first tuning program for the all-new Audi TT Coupe.

They focused on the base four-cylinder 2.0 TFSI engine which has upgraded from the series 230 HP (169 kW) and 370 Nm (272 lb-ft) to 310 HP (228 kW) and 440 Nm (324 lb-ft) of torque. To go with the power bump, ABT enhanced the TT's looks by installing a different front skirt and revised mirror caps while at the back there's a new fixed rear wing and a skirt insert featuring two extra side attachments.

ABT applied a black & red theme and installed a custom quad exhaust system with black end pipes and they also replaced the standard alloy wheels with a 20-inch DR set wrapped around in Continental tires.

At the 2014 Essen Motor Show which kicks off tomorrow, ABT will also bring their Audi RS6-R Avant and a tuned Volkswagen Golf R.

Renault Trafic, Opel Vivaro got three stars

The third generation Audi TT Coupe has received a four-star rating from Euro NCAP.

Despite being on sale for quite some time, the third-gen Audi TT hasn't been crash tested by Euro NCAP, up until now. It managed to grab four out of five stars and one of the reasons why the TT didn't get a five-star score is because it lacks an autonomous emergency braking system as well as other similar advanced safety technologies.

It's important to mention Euro NCAP has implemented from 2015 onwards new and updated test protocols and crash test dummies along with a full-width rigid barrier frontal test complementing the frontal offset deformable test. In this new full-width test, a small female driver and a rear seat passenger are in the car, representing a novelty for any European crash test.

Euro NCAP also tested the Renault Trafic and sister models Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro which all earned three stars. Starting next year, van crash testing will use "essentially identical" test protocols as the passenger vehicle testing.

VW Group tuner ABT Sportsline has further refined the tuning kit for the Audi TT launched last year at the Essen Show with a new “Gunmetal” matte wrap.

Combined with the ABT Sportsline body kit accented with gloss black elements such as the grille, front and rear spoilers, mirror caps and rear skirt, the wrap makes the Audi TT look classier than the red and black paint scheme showcased in Essen.

The aero kit consists of a front skirt add-on with an offset spoiler lip, specially designed mirror caps with the ABT logo, a fixed rear wing and rear skirt insert, plus an ABT exhaust system with black tailpipes and lasered ABT logos.

The car features the same 2.0-liter TFSI engine as the Essen show car, upgraded from 230PS (227hp) to 310PS (306hp), while torque is boosted from 370Nm (273lb-ft) to 440Nm (324lb-ft). Basically, what ABT Sportsline has done is upgrade the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol to the level of the production Audi TTS.

The car also features an ABT sport brake system with 6-piston calipers, ABT suspension springs and stabilizers, as well as 20-inch alloy wheels in the new ABT FR design with Continental tyres in 255/30 R20.

The new Audi TTS just landed in the UK and we had the chance to get a first taste of it. The compact coupe represents the top of the TT line, at least until next year, when the TT RS will debut.

This is the car that Audi basically throws against Porsche’s Cayman, BMW’s Z4 sDrive35i and Merc’s SLK350 AMG Sport. Based on the now-famous MQB platform, the new TT is not only lighter but has a 37mm longer wheelbase than its predecessor while being marginally shorter and narrower. Blending aluminium and steel in its construction, the new TT is 23% more rigid than the previous generation.

What's under the skin?

The new TTS uses a newly-developed turbocharged 4-cylinder 2.0 TFSI engine that makes 306hp (310PS) at 4500-6200rpm and 280lb ft (380Nm) of torque at 1800-5700rpm. Modified aluminium pistons, strengthened connecting rods and a cylinder head made of a lightweight aluminium-silica alloy are some of the changes. When opted with the S-Tronic gearbox, the Audi TTS sprints from zero to 62mph (100km/h) in just 4.6 seconds, a whole second faster than the time a Porsche Cayman PDK needs for the same figure. Top speed is limited at 155mph (250km/h). The dry weight reaches 1365kg for the manual version, with the S-Tronic gearbox adding another 20kg to that figure.

Ah, that lovely interior

The cabin was always one of the TT’s strongest points and this is still one lovely place to spend time in. The aluminium trim blends beautifully with the simple, elegant design of the dash, with the three, circular air vents incorporating the climate controls. And the highlight of course is no other than the Audi Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3in high resolution display placed instead of the traditional analogue readouts. Its image is sharp and clear, giving you two interfaces to choose from, one that lets the navigation map dominate the screen and the other -specific for the TTS- brings the rev-counter in the centre, with a digital readout in the middle for the speed.

How does it drive?

Modern 4-cylinder engines don’t come much better than this 2.0TFSI; Give it the full beans and it’s happy to demonstrate its full-of-energy character from as low as 1500rpm all the way up to about 6500rpm. When mated to the six-speed S-Tronic gearbox, it barks loudly in every upshift, adding some drama to the growling soundtrack. The music it plays may not be as characterful as a six-cylinder’s but at least is angry enough.

Fast Audis were always impressive when covering ground mighty-fast is the subject, but this new TTS takes it to the next level. The new car displays much more composure -with the dampers left to Comfort mode- and bite than its predecessor down the road, allowing you to exploit its potential better and harder. The Dynamic setting of the suspension makes the car a bit nervous on bumpy B-roads, messing with the balance of the chassis, without giving any real advantage to the feel of the car. Nevertheless you catch yourself trusting the front end in a way you couldn’t do with its ancestor.

The rear end also is more adjustable than before, participating actively in the bits between the straights, thanks partly to the latest quattro all-wheel drive system that can send 100% of the torque to either axle. Small oversteer moments are now even possible with some provocation as you exit a corner but the TTS is still all about the all-weather grip and the sheer result. As a blunt instrument to travel from point A to point B, the TTS is one of the easiest, most effective ways to teleport yourself.

And the outcome?

This is basically the issue with the TTS. It's just so approachable, offering you so much and so easy that makes the experience less exciting, less demanding for the driver. The light electric steering doesn’t help either but the main problem is that there isn’t enough depth to its handling characteristics to give a car like the Cayman a hard time. It’s mighty quick though and Audi has made the TTS a much sharper rival, with a pointy front end that finally grips enough to let you enjoy the best part of it. The combination of that sheer speed and of its inherent daily-drive friendliness has made the Audi TTS a much more enjoyable and faster car than it used to be and that’s probably what matters the most.

In never-before-seen footage, check out the reloaded Avengers and Audi TTS from the upcoming film Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as a special sneak peak at the newest Marvel Super Hero.

The Avengers are back and ready for anything. So is the all-new 2015 Audi TTS. With quattro all-wheel drive, a turbocharged 265-hp TFSI® engine, and high-performance ultra lightweight technology, the TTS has its own superpowers. And it doesn’t hurt that it happens to be pretty easy on the eyes, too.