Audi does great cabins, and the A5 Cabriolet’s is no exception. For the most part it’s a predictable facsimile of its coupé sister’s interior, with the same dashboard, instrument pack, centre console and door trims.
Generous adjustment for the front seats means that most occupants should be able to get comfortable. Some rear seat space has been sacrificed to find room for the roof mechanism, but the A5 Cabriolet is still big enough to be considered a genuine four-seater rather than a ‘plus two’.
The roof features one-touch power operation and Audi is justifiably proud of the mechanism’s speed. Collapsing the hood takes just 15 seconds, raising it takes just 17, and it can be operated while driving at low speeds – perfect for the vagaries of the British summer. The folded roof does remove some boot space, but even with the hood up the load space is shallow and accessed via an awkwardly narrow aperture.
S-Line and S5 convertibles get an ‘acoustic’ hood to reduce noise levels in the cabin. It’s available as an option on lesser versions and really helps to boost cruising refinement. Top-spec versions also get a foldable wind deflector that can be clipped in over the rear seats and which works well to reduce disruption in the cabin.
In its heyday the A4 Cabriolet enjoyed some of the strongest residual values ever recorded for a mainstream car, and Audi reckons the A5 will enjoy a similar appeal. It will need to: it costs up to £4000 more than its predecessor.
The 3.0 TDI S-Line’s list price pitches it hard against its most significant rival, the £40,095 BMW 330d M Sport Convertible. Buyers will have to decide just how appealing the 3-series’ folding hard-top is next to the Audi’s fabric roof.
We couldn’t match the official 41.5mpg economy figure, but 38.1mpg when touring is respectable. CO2 emissions of 179g/km are also impressive, considering the performance on offer.
