The top has finally come off Audi’s new A5 with the premiere of the Cabriolet. Arriving in European dealerships in March 2017, the new convertible promises more space, less noise, and, like its hardtop brethren, more power and efficiency.
Thanks to a new chassis designed to be lighter and stronger, the new A5 Cabriolet is 40 percent stiffer than the outgoing model and nearly 90 pounds lighter, weighing in at 3,725 lbs. Audi claims the car is stiffer than any of its competitors, despite being among the lightest in its segment.
Despite that, comfort and safety haven’t been sacrificed. The head-thorax airbags will keep your melon in one piece in the event of a rollover, and extending aluminum profiles will keep the rest of you from being squished. That’s even if safety features like collision avoidance, turn assist, park assist, rear cross-traffic assist, exit warning don’t prevent the accident in the first place.
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The A5 Cabriolet is also 2 inches longer than its predecessor, so passengers get more space inside to the tune of an extra inch of shoulder space and nearly as much extra knee room.
The real improvements to comfort are audible, though. An aeroacoustic roof makes the new A5 Cabriolet exceptionally quiet with the top up, and microphones in the seatbelts mean that you can make hands-free calls even with the roof down.
Getting the roof down takes one touch of a button and just 15 seconds. It can be done at speeds of up to 31 mph. Same goes for getting the roof back up, though that takes an extra three seconds.
The new A5 Cabriolet will initially be offered in Germany with three engines: the 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder with 252 hp, a 2.0L TDI with 190 hp, and a 3.0L TDI with 218 hp. After that, another 2.0L TFSI with 190 hp and a 3.0L TDI with 286 hp will join the lineup. It’s likely that the diesel options won’t make it to North America.
Each will come with a choice of six-speed manual, seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch, or eight-speed tiptronic transmissions. Power will go the front wheels as standard, or to all four wheels optionally.
The S5 Cabriolet, meanwhile, will come with the new 3.0-liter TFSI turbocharged V6 that produces 354 hp, 21 more than the outgoing model. Thanks to the new engine, the S5 will hit 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds and will go all the way up to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. The S5 comes as standard with quattro all-wheel-drive and the eight-speed tiptronic transmission.
Audi’s suite of infotainment tech will be available through the MMI system operated through an 8.3-inch monitor with a DVD drive and USB connection, along with which Audi’s lauded digital dash will also be available.
The A5 Cabriolet starts at 49,350 Euros, while the S5 will start at 67,800 Euros. North American pricing has not yet been announced.
