10:41am Thursday 21st May 2009
By Steve Teale
In the year 2000, Audi sold 43,000 cars in the UK; that rose to 100,000 by 2008, with the company breaking sales records every year.
In fact, last year, one in 25 cars sold in the UK was an Audi. That’s a tremendous record considering the company began the decade as a very minor player.
Now with more than a million Audis a year being sold, the company still has big plans. With almost military precision, it is busy filling gaps in its fleet.
New Audis in recent years include the A3 Cabriolet, Q5 and Q7 4x4s, RS6 performance estate and R8 supercar.
Now here’s the A5 Cabriolet, a niche model of course, but one which Audi expect to be successful.
This is a proper soft-top. Audi has so far shunned the concept of folding metal roofs on the basis that they’re heavy, cumbersome and unpopular with people who want onlookers to be clear that this is a convertible and not a run-of-the-mill coupe.
The first two arguments, I agree with. The third is arguable. Frankly, I prefer a folding metal roof, but the athleticism of the lighter Audi is something to behold.
The roof folds in 15 seconds, which is quick. Very quick.
It was only a matter of time before Audi took the top off its well-received A5 Coupe. Although it shares more than a few design cues with its infinitely more sensible A4 saloon, it’s obvious which one is likely to attract buyers with no need for two extra doors.
If anything, the A5 Cabriolet moves the Coupe up the aspirational ladder a few rungs. It’s hardly surprising, as the original 80-based convertible created a similar stir when it was launched.
Anyway, this Audi, like so many, is all about style and the feel-good factor. Built to last and to a level that must have rival engineers lying awake at night in a cold sweat, once you slide into the A5 Cabriolet it just feels right. From the contours of the supportive seats to the elegant switchgear, ergonomic fascia and clear instrumentation to the overall ambience, it would be a very cruel driver indeed who found fault with their surroundings.
It’s certainly hard to complain about the roof. In simple terms, it just works; you press a button to lower it, and it folds away without any fuss. It will open in 15 seconds and close in 17, and this can be done at speeds of up to 31mph – no more embarrassing situations at traffic lights when they turn green but the car’s not yet finished doing its thing.
You’d be right to expect the Cabriolet to perform much like the Coupe on the road. That it does is a testament to the work done to banish any hint of flex or rattle in the cabin, even when driving on the harshest of roads.
The car’s overall performance is helped in no small measure by the polished collection of engines and transmissions on offer. May sees a trio of engines – two FSI direct injection petrols (2.0 and 3.2-litre) and a 3.0-litre TDI diesel. As with previous new Audis, you can expect to see the range of engines expand over time, with an affordable four-cylinder diesel likely to prove especially popular.
Cleaner and greener than previous offerings, the engines promise much on paper and deliver the goods on the road; the 265 horsepower petrol V6 is especially potent, the 211 horsepower four-pot petrol unit surprisingly good for its size, and the V6 diesel is smooth, quiet and powerful in a subtle kind of way. There are manual, twin-clutch DSG (S tronic) and CVT-style multitronic auto gearboxes available, plus Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel drive as standard on the diesel and an option on the other variants.
With such a wide variety of engines, trim and gearboxes to choose from, the ability to tailor the car to your requirements is easy. Audi is famous for offering a generous array of optional kit, and the A5 Cabriolet is no different. Aside form the usual stuff – sat-nav, audio and the like – there’s even a heater built into the seat at neck height, designed to blow warm air for when it’s cold and you’ve got the roof down.
If you sense a distinct bias towards the aesthetics of this drop-top A5, then you would be right. Cars like this are all about image, and this convertible succeeds where many rivals can only come close. Whether it’s build quality, looks, image or the draw of those four rings, it’s hard to find a better all-round package. That it’s also an entertaining steer is the icing on the cake.
For all the fuss that’s made about cars with folding metal roofs, there’s much to be said about the traditional fabric alternative. Granted, the A5’s roof is far from simple – the levels of refinement with the roof up are impressively coupe-like – but it does make the car look appealing when raised, which is a rare achievement. Being an Audi, this is no coincidence and the A5 Cabriolet is great all-rounder, roof up or down.
PRICE: from £37,935 on the road.
ENGINE: A 3.0-litre diesel unit developing 240bhp via seven-speed twin clutch DSG transmission, driving all four wheels.
PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed 153mph, 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds.
COSTS: 41.5mpg.
EMISSIONS: 179g/km.
WARRANTY: 3 years unlimited mileage.
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