New open-top Audi lands

Audi's new four-seater Cabriolet is now available in local showrooms, starting at $83,400.

The $80K-plus buys you the 1.8T with a 120kW/225Nm turbocharged four-cylinder petrol powerplant carried over from the previous model. The new 3.2 FSI direct-injection petrol V6 Cabriolet is rated at 188kW/330Nm and starts at $107,800. Both model feature Audi's Multitronic seven-speed CVT automatic transmission

Sporting Audi's single-frame grille facelift and newly-styled front and rear lights, the latest Cabriolet also boasts steering, ride and handling tweaks according to its maker.

The electro-hydraulic soft-top even lowers five-seconds quicker than the predecessor's.

The new models come standard with hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering featuring speed-dependent power assistance which Audi claims provides the highest conceivable standard of steering precision and improved comfort. Like the A4 sedan, suspension has been upgraded with the use of mounts and rods from the A6 and S4, including the S4's rear trapezoidal-links.

Safety equipment includes the latest-generation electronic stability control (ESP 8). The new Cabriolet's ESP comes with a two-stage deactivation button. The new models also feature a brake-disc wiping function integrated into the ABS which helps to keep the brake discs dry on wet roads.

There's also dual-stage full-size front airbags and front side airbags.

Standard features include automatic air-conditioning, electrically-adjustable lumbar support for the driver's and front passenger's seats and fully-electric front seats for the V6 model. The 3.2 FSI model also features paddle shifts on the newly-designed four-spoke steering wheel.