Following the introduction of the Coupe and Sportback body styles, Audi now pull the wraps off the Cabriolet version of its new A5 and S5. This completes the new generation of the A5 family.
In terms of its overall looks, Audi designers went with the sleek lines of the Coupé for the styling of the new Audi A5 Cabriolet. The rear window is now flatter and emphasizes the sporty looks, as do the short overhangs and the long wraparound hood with power dome. With a length of 4,673 millimeters, the new A5 Cabriolet is 47 millimeters longer than the predecessor model.
The new soft has gained a new one-touch opening function which makes operating the hood much easier: Just a quick pull of the switch is all it takes to open the soft top fully automatically in 15 seconds or close it in 18 seconds – even while driving up to 50 km/h. The Cabriolet also comes standard with seat belt microphones for driver and front passenger to improve voice quality even with the hood open.
With the hood closed the luggage compartment has a capacity of 380 liters. The soft top compartment in the luggage compartment automatically moves down when opening the soft top and up again when the soft top is closed, thus providing the largest possible luggage space at all times. The rear seat has a 50:50 split and can be easily folded forward using levers in the luggage compartment.
As standard the tailgate on the A5 Cabriolet now opens automatically by using the remote control key or the button in the driver’s door. Audi also installs gesture control for the tailgate as an option – A proximity sensor in the bumper responds to a kicking movement with the foot and allow the tailgate to open automatically once it detects the key.
The body of the new Audi A5 Cabriolet is the stiffest in its class and yet is among the lightest in the segment. Thanks to a smart mix of materials and geometric lightweight design, the engineers have increased the good torsional stiffness of the predecessor model by another 40%. All of which makes the Cabriolet’s handling even more agile. The total weight of the new generation is reduced by up to 40kg. The front-wheel-drive A5 Cabriolet with the 190hp 2.0 TDI weighs only 1,690kg.
The engines are borrowed from the Coupe and Sportback and it comes in 3 variants – a 2.0 TFSI with 252 hp, a 2.0 TDI with 190 hp and a 3.0 TDI with 218 hp. Following the market introduction, a 2.0 TFSI with 190 hp and a 3.0 TDI with 286 hp will soon join the lineup. Compared with the previous model, the engines offer up to 17% more power while consuming as much as 22% less fuel. All the engines combine high efficiency with sporty power development and smooth running – especially the two 3.0 TDI 6-cylinder engines.
6-speed manual transmission, 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission or 8-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 286 hp.
The Audi S5 Cabriolet is moving into a whole new league with its newly developed 3.0 TFSI. From its 2,995 cc of displacement, the boosted 6-cylinder engine produces 354 hp of power – 21 hp more than the engine in the previous model. The top model accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds, and on up to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h. It features quattro permanent all-wheel drive and the 8-speed tiptronic as standard.
The new Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolet will arrive in dealerships in Germany and other European countries in March 2017.
