German Car Zone

Unlike its Four-Seat Drop-Top Competitors, Audi Ops for Cloth Over Metal

With the first day of spring right around the corner, Audi utilized the 2009 Geneva motor show to unveil its all-new 2010 A5 and S5 Cabriolets. Not only were we on hand to obtain all the details on Audi's new drop-tops, but we also got the chance to drive them the week prior in Monaco, France. Unfortunately for the U.S., we won't see the various A5 and S5 convertibles until October, well after summer. But when they do arrive, we'll be able to choose from three engines, three transmissions, and front or all-wheel drive.

The base A5 Cabriolet -- dubbed 2.0T -- gets Audi's stout 2.0L turbo four, which puts out 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The front-drive 2.0T, which should start at around $42,000, comes only with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), while the rear-biased 40/60 quattro all-wheel-drive version receives a conventional six-speed automatic. (Contrary to European versions, U.S.-bound 2.0Ts won't be available with a six-speed manual for front drive or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic for quattro.) Audi expects the 2.0T to represent 55% of the A5/S5 Cab sales mix. For roughly $49,000 to start, the A5 Cabriolet 3.2 comes to America exclusively with quattro and a six-speed auto (no available seven-speed dual-clutch, as in Europe), and, like its badge suggests, a 3.2L V-6 making 265 hp and 243 lb-ft. At roughly 15% of the sales mix, the 3.2 is the low-volume trim. Drop another nine large or so, and you'll be able to step into an S5 Cabriolet, replete with the new S4's 3.0L supercharged V-6, good for 333 hp and 325 lb-ft. Fitted only with quattro and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto (the sole drivetrain worldwide), the S5 Cab also gets the S4's torque-vectoring Sports Rear Differential, which helps rotate the car under aggressive cornering.


Motor Trend - First Drive: 2010 Audi A5/S5 Cabriolet


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