New Audi A5 Cabriolet Revealed Ahead of L.A. Debut

INGOLSTADT, Germany – Audi reveals its new second-generation A5 Cabriolet in a series of official photographs released prior to a public premiere of the new 4-seater at the Los Angeles auto show later this month.

Set to reach North American showrooms during second-half 2017, the A5 Cabriolet adopts the same platform as its fixed-roof sibling, the recently unveiled second-generation A5 Coupe.

With increased use of hot-formed high-strength steel, the so-called MLB Evolution architecture is claimed to provide a significant improvement in overall rigidity compared with the previous platform, providing the new soft top with what Audi describes as more agile handling and greater levels of comfort.

Sharing its exterior styling with A5 Coupe, the cabriolet also features a newly developed roof with 1-touch automatic operation. It opens in a claimed 15 seconds and closes again in 18 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph (50 km/h). A new manufacturing process is said to endow the multilayered structure with vastly improved aero-acoustic properties to reduce cabin noise levels at motorway speeds.

With a length of 184.0 ins. (4,674 mm), the new A5 Cabriolet is 1.9 ins. (48 mm) longer than its predecessor. It also rides on a wheelbase extended 0.6 ins. (15.2 mm) over the old A5 Cabriolet at 110.0 ins. (2,794 mm). This has led to slightly more rear-seat knee room and extra cargo space, which tops out at 13.4 cu.-ft. (379 L) with the roof closed.

Options include a gesture-control function that opens the trunk when a sensor detects the movement of your foot underneath the rear bumper, a feature beginning to appear on models from a number of brands.

Audi claims the body of its latest open-top car is the stiffest in its class with torsional rigidity up 40% over the old A5 Cabriolet. Among the measures brought to the structure to offset the lack of a fixed-roof structure are reinforced sills and additional strengthening within the bulkheads. Safety also is enhanced by the inclusion of rollover beams that deploy from behind the cabin as well as so-called head-thorax side airbags within the door linings.

Audi says the new model also is the lightest car in its segment, with the front-wheel drive A5 Cabriolet 2.0 TDI, a version not sold in the U.S., boasting an 88-lb. (40-kg) reduction in curb weight over its direct predecessor at 3,726 lbs. (1,690 kg).

The A5 Cabriolet will be sold with the same engine lineup as the new A5 Coupe, together with three different gearboxes and either front- or all-wheel drive.

U.S. details are yet to be announced, but the sole gasoline unit from the start of German sales in March will be a 248-hp turbocharged 2.0L TFSI engine. It will be joined from the outset by two diesels: a 187-hp turbocharged 2.0L and 215-hp turbocharged 3.0L V-6.

Shortly after launch two additional engines will be available: an 187-hp version of the 2.0L TFSI and 282-hp 3.0L V-6 diesel.

Topping the initial range will be the S5 Cabriolet. It receives Audi’s newly developed turbocharged 3.0L gasoline V-6 generating 349 hp, or some 21 hp more than its predecessor’s supercharged 3.0L.

With an 8-speed automatic and the latest evolution of Audi’s Torsen torque-sensing quattro AWD system, the new S5 Cabriolet is claimed to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) from standstill in 5.1 seconds and reach a top speed limited to 155 mph (249 km/h).

Also under development at Audi’s Sport division, but yet to be officially confirmed, is a headlining RS5 Cabriolet. Planned to be revealed in 2017 before a rumored start to U.S. sales in 2018, it is earmarked to run a twin-turbocharged 2.9L V-6 developed in partnership with Porsche in place of the naturally-aspirated 5.2L V-8 used by the old RS5 Cabriolet.

Audi says the engines offered in the new A5 Cabriolet develop up to 17% more power while consuming up to 22% less fuel than the units used by the outgoing first-generation model introduced in 2009.

Depending on the engine, buyers will be able to choose between either a standard 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual clutch or 8-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. Quattro is standard in the more powerful 3.0L TDI and S5 and optional elsewhere.

Inside, the A5 Cabriolet adopts the same dashboard and many of the same interior appointments featured on the latest A5 Coupe. As an alternative to standard analogue instruments, buyers can specify the new car with an optional 12.3-in. (31-cm) high-definition digital instrument display as well as a head-up display unit.