COVER Audi A5 Cabriolet

FIRST DRIVE Classier convertible aims to set new soft-top standard

Classier convertible aims to set new soft-top standard

IF the Audi A5 is designed to be a more desirable alternative to an A4, then surely the convertible version is the standard-bearer for that glamorous, showy image? The problem with the outgoing A5 Cabriolet is that, despite a mid-life facelift a few years ago, the car on which it is based is almost a decade old. To the fashion and tech-obsessed modern motorist, nine years is a seriously long time.

Step forward the 2017 A5 Cabriolet – with a completely new platform, fresh exterior, overhauled cabin and up-to-date engines. In theory, it’s just the recipe to remind BMW and Mercedes that they can’t have it all their own way for too long in this game. We’ve driven the drop-top A5 for the first time in predicted best-selling 2.0 TDI guise, to see if it delivers.

Whereas the original A5 Cabriolet was actually a significant design step for Audi, the new model is more about small styling refinements. The chunkier grille, stretched-back headlamps and body creases add extra presence, but the basic shape is entirely familiar. It’s still a good-looking convertible, but the old A5 didn’t have to compete with svelte models like the latest Mercedes C-class Cabriolet.

The interior moves the game on in a more obvious way. The dash is the same superbly built and cleanly laid-out affair as in the hard-top A5 (tested on Page 68), with the stunning Virtual Cockpit dials contrasting with the awkward-looking centre console screen. It remains the best cabin in the class in terms of usability and quality, however.

There are a couple of neat touches that are unique to the Cabriolet, including microphones in each front seatbelt to help make Bluetooth calls clearer with the top down, and an optional wind deflector that stows away neatly beneath the boot floor. Audi has even borrowed the idea for Mercedes’ ‘Airscarf’ neck-heating system and offers its own version in the A5.

The boot itself is class-leading, with Audi claiming a 380-litre capacity when the roof is up and 320 litres with it down. Rear seat space is good, too – legroom is much better than before, although headroom is limited compared with the Coupé.

Audi makes a song and dance about the roof itself – a new, multi-layer job with multiple colour choices and acoustic panels to reduce wind noise. Our test in Spain was on a particularly windy day, so it’s difficult to reach a full conclusion on noise isolation, but the rustle was only intrusive at high

“If you can’t stretch to the excellent six-cylinder diesel, entry-level A5 Cabriolet TDI is our pick”