2017 Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolet – the soft top revealed

This is the third and final variant that completes the Audi A5 family. Coming after the A5 Coupe and A5 Sportback, the 2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet is for those who want to feel the wind and the sun on their skin, when conditions permit.

Like before, Audi has chosen a classic soft top for the A5 Cabrio – the fabric contraption opens 15 seconds and closes in 18 seconds at the touch of a button, and operation is possible while driving up to 50 km/h. It offers outstanding aeroacoustics thanks to effective insulation, according to Ingolstadt.

Additional struts in the body compared with the Coupe and reinforced sills make up for the absence of a fixed roof. In the event of a crash and rollover, head-thorax side airbags and automatically extending aluminum profiles provide additional safety for occupants.

Elsewhere, the changes here compared to the previous A5 Cab are as per the latest A5 Coupe, since this is just a convertible version of the two door. The front is dominated by a 3D Singleframe grille which is flatter and wider than before, and the A5’s signature wave shoulder line – which is a lot more prominent in this generation – is present.

A design feature unique to the Cabriolet is a third brake light that’s neatly integrated into the surrounding trim strip of the hood compartment cover. This is necessary as there’s no permanent rear screen for the brake lights to be stuck on.

At 4,673 mm long, the new A5 Cabriolet is 47 mm longer than its predecessor, and the 2,765 mm wheelbase is 14 mm longer. There’s more room inside as a result. Coupled with slimmer front chairs, rear knee room is up by 18 mm, while there’s also 26 mm extra shoulder room at the front 60 litres more boot capacity at 380 litres. The rear seats split fold 50:50, and all A5 Cabs now come with an automatic tailgate; kick-to-open gesture control is optional.

Audi says that the new A5 Cabriolet’s torsional stiffness is up by 40% over its predecessor. At the same time, weight is reduced by up to 40 kg.

An updated five-link suspension is used on the front axle, while a five-link unit replaces the trapezoidal-link rear suspension used previously. Adaptive dampers are available as an option, incorporated into the standard Audi drive select system. Optionally available is dynamic steering, which varies its gear ratio depending on the speed and steering angle.

The A5 Cab will launch in Europe with three engines – a 2.0 TFSI with 252 hp, a 2.0 TDI with 190 hp and a 3.0 TDI with 218 hp. A 2.0 TFSI with 190 hp and a 3.0 TDI with 286 hp will join later. On the gearbox menu is a six-speed manual, seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch unit and an eight-speed Tiptronic auto. Front-wheel drive is standard and quattro AWD is an option.

There’s an S5 Cabriolet for those who want more performance, and the range topper is powered by new turbocharged 3.0 TFSI with 354 hp and 500 Nm from 1,370 to 4,500 rpm. More power and torque than the old supercharged six-pot, and good for 0-100 km/h in 5.1 seconds. AWD and the eight-speed auto are standard. The usual S design elements are present to differentiate the variant, as per A5/S5 Coupe.

The A5 Cabrio’s equipment list is identical to its siblings (19-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, Audi virtual cockpit, Audi phone box with Qi charger and MMI navigation plus with MMI touch are all available), but there’s something extra that an open top needs – standard seat belt microphones for the driver and front passenger to improve voice control quality even with the roof down.

Read our reviews of the B9 Audi A4 and this car’s fixed top sister, the A5 Coupe. The sedan is now available, while the coupe is set for a 2017 local launch.

GALLERY: Audi A5 Cabriolet

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