Road Test A5 Cabriolet- www.mister-cars.com

 

For a start the A5 Cabrio goes against the trend of convertible cars with retracting metal roofs, its top being the classic fabric cover.The thinking here is the saving of weight, a main contributor to fuel cost savings. A feature which will not be lost on sun loving owners prone to leaving the top down when parked are the four seats which are upholstered in Milano leather with a heat resistant coating which reflects infra-red radiation, in turn lowering the surface temperature by up to 20 degrees Celsius.

Audi’s characteristic wide choice of power plants has also been taken up in the A5 Cabrio range. Opening the batting is the company’s multi-award winning four-cylinder 2.0 litre TFSI petrol engine putting out 155kW of power and 350Nm of torque, while for added spice, the car also comes with a 3.2 litre V6 pumping out 195kW and 330Nm. However, the test vehicle came with Audi’s all-conquering 3 litre TDI turbo-diesel V6 motor stumping up 176kW and a hairy-chested 500Nm of pulling power.

This engine is so efficient it qualifies for luxury tax relief thanks to its claimed 6.8 litres per 100km fuel consumption. Surprisingly, the car’s still capable of producing slick acceleration from rest to 100km/h in 6.4 seconds. All engines put power to ground via Audi’s seven-speed double clutch S tronic transmission with semi-manual shift option and quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The high-tech package overcomes shortcomings experienced with some diesel power units, the only cross among the ticks being the characteristic rattle associated with an oil burner.

The A5 Cabrio is true to the A5 Coupe’s sporty nature with the cloth roof in position continuing the smooth profile uninterrupted from front to rear, while also allowing for 320 litres of luggage in the boot  with the top stowed. Raising and lowering the roof takes a mere 15 seconds – the fastest  in its class – with opening being possible at speeds of up to 50km/h. With the rear seats folded flat the A5 Cabrio can carry up to 750 litres of cargo, with articles as long as 392mm diagonally.

 

 

Up to four occupants can be accommodated comfortably, with ample leg room in the rear for the average-size person. The coupe nature of the A5 Cabrio – two wide opening doors – means reaching for the seat belts from the front seats can be a bit of a stretch, so standard belt extenders lend a helping hand when the ignition is switched on. Options include neck level heating in which a three-phase adjustable fan wafts warm air through the upper seatback onto the head and neck.

Driving dynamics can be dialed up to suit the mood – comfort, automatic or sport – allowing the driver to choose one of three ‘maps’ which control suspension damping, gearshift speed and fuel feed characteristics. Also on offer are a blind-spot indicator in which lights integrated into the exterior mirrors warn when a vehicle is close to either side of the car.

Prices start at a little under $100,000, plus on-roads, for the entry level four-cylinder petrol A5 Cabrio and top out at close to $120,000 for the V6, while the diesel is pitched mid way between the two. Audi has offered a premium mid-size convertible on the market since 1991. The A5 Cabrio and its just-released S5 sibling are set to continue carrying  the convertible torch.