Audi lifts the lid on all-new A5 Cabriolet
THE new Audi A5 Cabriolet has been revealed ahead of its public debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in mid-november.
As with the last convertible, the elegant lines are shared with the A5 Coupé, with a strong shoulder line and steeply raked windscreen, along with Audi’s trademark grille and latest signature LED headlamps. Short front and rear overhangs give it a sporty stance while maximising space in the four-seat interior.
The standard acoustic fabric hood is designed so that the Cabriolet is as quiet as the Coupé with the roof up. It can fold away automatically in 15 seconds, and if the heavens open, it’ll take 18 seconds to move back into place. Either operation can be performed at speeds of up to 31mph. Roll hoops and side airbags, which are complemented by automatically extending aluminium profiles, have been developed for the convertible to boost safety.
Audi claims reinforced sills and additional bracing struts in the body help maintain a similar driving experience to the hard-top. Despite this, the A5 Cabriolet is around 40kg lighter than the old car; the front-wheeldrive 2.0 TDI 190 tips the scales at 1,690kg.
The 249bhp 2.0 TFSI is the only petrol engine option in the standard range, but those looking for extra performance can step up to the S5 Cabriolet. This has a 3.0-litre V6 TFSI unit packing 349bhp and is capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds.
On the diesel side, there’s a 2.0-litre TDI delivering 187bhp or a 3.0 TDI with 215bhp. Audi says that all of the A5 Cabriolet’s engines offer 17 per cent more power while using 22 per cent less fuel than the units in the old car. The entrylevel 2.0 TDI claims 62.3mpg and emits as little as 118g/km of CO2. There are front-wheel-drive and quattro all-wheeldrive models in the range, but the S5 comes with quattro and an eightspeed Tiptronic gearbox as standard.
Boot capacity stands at 380 litres with the hood down, while the rear seat can split and fold 50:50 to improve practicality. An automatic tailgate is now fitted as standard. The Audi MMI infotainment system gets a seven-inch monitor as standard, although it can be upgraded to an 8.3-inch unit as an option, along with Audi’s now familiar Virtual Cockpit in the instrument binnacle.
The A5 and S5 Cabriolets go on sale in January, and deliveries will start in April. Prices should stay in line with the current car, kicking off from around £37,000.
New drop-top follows coupé Roof opens up in 15 seconds “New A5 Cabriolet shares its elegant lines with the A5 Coupé”