Audi A5 Cabriolet
WHEN this week’s test car arrived I thought the chance to try out its biggest selling point was going to be lost.
The weather was less than ideal to be testing a convertible. However, two days in and the sun broke through as I was in mid-journey – a chance to also try the Audi A5 Cabriolet’s party trick, the ability to drop the roof while on the move (at up to 31 mph) and it was wind in the hair time.
Mind you, another clever trick the A5 drop-top seems to have cracked is keeping the wind out of your hair – with the optional wind deflector deployed.
Our car was the S line Special Edition 2.0TDi, which came with lots of goodies like auto stop, stylish 20in ‘double spoke’ alloy wheels, sports suspension, Audi’s ‘Concert’ audio system with 10 speakers and DAB radio plus an ‘MMI plus’ sat-nav on the largescreen display.
The 2.0 TDI diesel engine in our car is the best choice if low running costs are a priority, thanks to its 57.6mpg economy on the combined cycle (64 extra urban) and low enough emissions to fall into road tax band D. It puts out 177bhp giving a 0-62 time of 8.8 seconds and top speed is 138mph.
The A5 Cabriolet has a range of diesel and petrol engines. Even the small 1.8-litre turbo petrol delivers punchy performance, but the 2.0-litre turbo or 3.0-litre V6 units have real power. Our entry-level diesel is a flexible 2.0-litre, while those 201bhp and 242bhp 3.0-litre units are also available. There is a choice of six-speed manual and automatic transmissions and front or four-wheel drive.
Priced at £42,635 on the road (£37,265 without the options) I thought the car would have cost more. The cabriolet range starts with the 1.8TFSI SE at £32,320 OTR up to the 3.0TDI quattro S line special edition 7-speed S-tronic auto at £46,770.
See www.audi.co.uk.