Lifestyle motoring

There is something very special about driving a cabriolet. That feeling of being at one with the passing scenery rather than merely observing it from within the cabin of a vehicle. Australians love their top down motoring for obvious reasons, with an abundance of enviable weather in most parts of the country for a significant part of the year, the chance to really commune with nature while enjoying the thrill and driving pleasure of a fine car are two of life’s great joys.

The arrival of the new Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolets then will be great news for lovers of the great outdoors Down Under when they make their way to Australia in 2017. Like the new A5 and S5 Sportback models, the Cabriolets are based on the new A5 and S5 Coupé in terms of styling they boast the same captivating design complete with the new wave-shaped shoulder line, three-dimensional treatment of the famous Singleframe grille and the new bonnet which features sculptured lines that add to the car’s arresting shape.

Flared guards give the Cabriolets a strong, muscular stance while the flat rear window further enhance that sporty look.

Obviously the most desirable situation sees these cars driven with the soft top down, but should the mood or the weather require, the fully lined and insulated top can be raised or lowered in 15 and 18 seconds respectively at the touch of a button, even when driving at speeds of up to 50km/h.

A powerful equation

These new Cabriolets are lifestyle vehicles but they are first and foremost driver’s cars. Although specification for Australia is yet to be decided, in Europe the new A5 Cabriolet will be offered with three engines – a 2.0 TFSI with 185kW, a 2.0 TDI with 140kW and a 3.0 TDI with 160kW. Shortly after launch a 2.0 TFSI with 140kW and a 3.0 TDI with 210kW will be added to the mix. Compared with the previous model, the engines offer up to 17 percent more power while consuming as much as 22 percent less fuel. 

Six-speed manual transmission, seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission or eight-speed tiptronic – tailor-made drivetrain technology is available for every engine version. The drive is provided as standard via the front wheels; quattro drive with ultra technology and permanent all-wheel drive are available as options. The latter comes as standard for the 3.0 TDI with 210kW.

The Audi S5 Cabriolet lives up to its ’S’ badging and heritage with a newly developed 3.0 TFSI. From its 2,995cc displacement, the boosted six-cylinder engine produces 260kW of power – 15kW more than the engine in the previous model. This sees the S5 Cabriolet demolish the run from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 5.1 seconds, and on up to an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h. It features quattro permanent all-wheel drive and the eight- speed tiptronic as standard. 

Stunning interior 

As always, the interiors of both models are nothing short of stunning. Accommodation is for up to four people in the sumptuous cockpits that carry the trademark Audi finishes throughout. State-of-the-art systems and infotainment abound both to enhance the driving experience and address the comfort of the occupants. From the option of the brilliant Bang & Olufsen Sound System which features innovative 3D sound and further improved bass thanks to a second woofer, to natural language voice control and free-text search, in the A5 and S5 Cabriolets every detail of comfort and convenience have been taken care of.

Standard seat belt microphones for driver and front passenger improve voice quality even with the hood open and as an alternative to the analog instrument dials, there is the Audi virtual cockpit with various display options. Optional head-up display is also available, MMI navigation plus with MMI touch tops the infotainment range along with additional DVD drive and a 10 GB flash memory, two card readers, an AUX-IN connection and a USB connection with charging function. 

An LTE module provides access to Audi connect online services and the media hub also comes with a Wi-Fi hotspot that connects passengers’ mobile devices to the Web. 

The Audi smartphone interface integrates iOS and Android cellphones in an environment specially developed for them in the MMI and the Audi phone box connects smartphones to the on-board antenna to provide superior reception quality. It also charges the smartphone inductively, without any wires, using the Qi standard.

A driving force

The ultimate in ‘outdoor’ entertainment, the new Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolet are built to be driven and to that end the body of these new models are the stiffest in class and yet the lightest in segment (reduced by up to 40 percent). This is the result of a clever mix of construction materials that ensures strength without adding weight – the practical result is a car with even more agile handling.

Additional struts in the body compared with the Coupé and reinforced sills make up for the absence of a fixed roof, and in the event of a crash and rollover, head-thorax side airbags and automatically extending aluminium profiles ensure the occupants’ safety. 

These new models also boast the full range of Audi’s leading driver assist and safety systems for vehicles that not only enhance the experience of the driver and occupants but assure their safety.

These are very much lifestyle vehicles that have traditionally been tremendously successful in Australia and interest is already high at the prospect of their imminent arrival in Australia.

Full specification, power plants and driveline information will become available ahead of the new A5 and S5 Cabriolet models arriving in Australia before the end of 2017.