Audi A3 Cabriolet

The race is on. Audi has announced that the new A3 Cabriolet will go on sale in its home country of Germany from the the early part of February next year.

BMW has already stated that the 1 Series Cabrio, will be available in Australia from the middle of next year. Has Audi rained on BMW's parade by announcing the existence of the convertible A3? Possibly...

As for the 1 Series Cabrio, the A3 will offer buyers a folding fabric roof and four seats. It's not certain how the Australian specification will pan out for the A3 Cabrio, but in Germany at least, it will be offered in two levels of trim ('Attraction' and 'Ambition') and with a choice of two petrol and two turbodiesel engines.

All four engines use direct injection fuel delivery systems and turbocharging.

As for other Audi models, the turbodiesels displace 1.9 litres or 2.0 litres, the former developing 77kW of power and 250Nm of torque from 1900rpm. Performance figures are 12.3 seconds' acceleration to 100kmh and a top speed of 185km/h.

Fitted with a variable geometry turbocharger, the larger 2.0-litre TDI engine produces 103kW of power and 320Nm of torque between the engine speeds of 1750 and 2500rpm. Acceleration to 100km/h takes 9.9 seconds and the top speed is 204km/h. The standard transmission with this engine is a six-speed manual, but the dual-clutch 'S tronic' can be specified as an option.

On the petrol side of the ledger, power and torque figures for the 1.8 TFSI engine amount to 118kW and 250Nm respectively. Driving through a standard six-speed manual transmission, the 1.8 TFSI engine will propel the car to 100km/h in 8.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 218km/h.

The fourth engine available to A3 Cabriolet buyers is the 2.0-litre TFSI engine. With this powerplant, the car will record an acceleration time of just 7.3 seconds to 100km/h and a top speed of 231km/h. To achieve these figures, the 2.0-litre TFSI engine output measures 147kW of power and 280Nm of torque, between 1800 and 5000rpm. Transmission choice comprises either the standard six-speed manual or the twin-clutch 'S tronic' unit.

The 'S tronic' transmission will change gears in 0.2 seconds and the gear changes can be effected from the shift lever or by the steering wheel paddles. Based as it is on the A3 hatch, the Cabrio's torque is transmitted through the front wheels only, with MacPherson struts and an electromechanical assisted rack and pinion steering system taking care of steering, ride and cornering. Audi describes the rear suspension as a 'four-link' system.

Large diameter front ventilated disc rotors are supplied with the A3 Cabriolet and combine with ABS and ESP to provide optimal braking, even when the ESP is operating.

Forgoing the company's interest in lightweight aluminium construction, the A3 Cabriolet relies heavily on high-strength and ultra-high strength steels, combined with hot-formed steels and strategic reinforcement to optimise crash safety and handling characteristics.

'A' and 'B' posts, side sills, the engine bay and a box-section formed from high-strength steel between the cabin and the luggage compartment are all points where the A3 Cabriolet has been strengthened over its hatchback siblings.

With the rear 50/50 split-folding rear seats lying flat, the A3 Cabriolet can handle up to 674 litres of luggage space, with or without the roof raised. If the seats are not folded, the car can still accommodate 260 litres of luggage volume.

Xenon headlights are optional for both levels of trim. Day running lights comprise LED strips under the main reflectors in the headlight clusters. At the rear, the tail lights employ fibre-optic light sources in a two-ring pattern that recalls the Audi corporate logo.

Wheels are 16-inch units for the A3 Cabriolet Attraction or 17-inch alloys for the higher grade Ambition.

15 paint colours are available and come with the folding roof in one of three coordinating colours, black, blue and red. Despite the roof being of the fabric variety, the rear window is glass, with its own demisting facility. Buyers can choose from either a semi-automatic folding roof, or the fully automatic 'acoustic' top. Two hydraulic cylinders can raise and lower the roof in nine seconds.

In common with other German convertibles, the roof lowers in a 'Z-fold' deployment to minimise the storage space required for the roof. A flat panel at the leading edge of the roof provides an integrated tonneau for the roof when in the folded position. The 'acoustic' hood can be raised and lowered on the move -- at speeds up to 30km/h -- and both the semi-automatic and fully-automatic types can be opened or closed on the remote central locking.

Audi makes the claim for the A3 Cabrio with the 'acoustic' roof that it is just 1dB louder inside the car at 140km/h than in the standard A3 'tin-top' hatches.

The A3 Cabriolet Attraction is fitted as standard with four electric windows. Over and above the entry-level car's specification, the A3 Cabriolet Ambition adds a three-spoke leather-bound sports steering wheel, front fog lights, sports suspension, sports seats, driver information system, wind deflector and special trim.

Audi is yet to announce final specification and pricing for Australia.