2009 Audi A5, S5: touch of class
PETER BLEAKNEY FOR THE TORONTO STAR
With the three-layer fabric top up, the Audi S5 cabriolet still carries much of the coupe's chiselled good looks.
Monaco–In its bid to become the world's largest maker of premium automobiles, Audi showed off the latest arrow in its burgeoning quiver earlier this week in the south of France.
PHOTOS: The Audi A5 and S5Arriving in Canada late this summer, the four-seat 2010 Audi A5 and higher-performance S5 cabriolet – both with quattro all-wheel drive – will fill the void created by the departed previous-generation A4 drop top. No Canadian pricing has been set but rest assured, Audi wants to lure buyers away from the BMW 328i cabriolet ($55,600) and the 335i cabriolet ($65,600).
The A5 coupe, on which this convertible is based, was a breakout car for Audi in 2008, not only for its lovely proportions but also because it was the first mainstream Audi to feature the now-signature LED headlight "mascara," and a revised platform with the front wheels pushed forward and a repositioned differential for better weight distribution.
For this cabrio, Audi is using a three-layer fabric top, unlike BMW (1 Series excepted) and Mercedes, which embrace folding tin-top hardware. While retractable hardtops generally keep occupants cozier when fixed, soft-tops offer the benefits of reduced complexity, weight and volume, allowing for more trunk space and avoiding the sometimes awkward rear proportioning necessary to pack away all that metal (Ferrari California and VW Eos, please stand up).
You could never accuse the A5 coupe of awkward proportioning, so it's a relief to see this cabrio version suffers little in that regard. With the top up, it still carries much of the coupe's chiselled good looks. With the roof tucked under the smooth tonneau cover (15 seconds down, 17 seconds up, operates up to 50 km/h) this cabriolet cuts quite a graceful profile. The brushed aluminum trim circling the cabin is a lovely detail.
The folded top takes up only 60 litres of the generous 380-litre trunk and, unusual for a convertible, the rear seat splits and folds, offering up to 750 litres of storage volume.
As pretty as the A5 is, it went largely unnoticed in this Mediterranean principality where Rolls, Astons, Ferraris and Lambos roam the streets in surprising numbers.
The cabin maintains Audi's tradition of class-leading interiors, being highlighted with wood inlays and/or brushed aluminum trim.
However, my driving partner and I had issue with "Ethel," the British navigation voice from the dash, who kept getting us lost in the labyrinthine streets of Monaco. Dearest Ethel, you can't "make a U-turn if possible" in Monaco. Period.
You sit low in this cab, and the multi-adjustable leather driver's seat and manual tilt/telescope wheel make finding the optimum driving position a breeze. Back seat room is tolerable for adults, as long as the front seats aren't too far back.
Audi has borrowed a couple of ideas from its German rivals: optional neck warming vents in the front seats like Mercedes's AirScarf, and specially treated leather seating surfaces that resist solar heat buildup, as first seen in the 2007 BMW M6 convertible.
The 2010 A5 cabriolet carries a naturally aspirated 265-hp 3.2-litre FSI V6 mated to a six-speed Tiptronic autobox.
Enthusiasts will opt for the S5 cabriolet, which sports 18-inch wheels (up from 17) and a 333-hp supercharged TSFI 3.0-litre V6 that makes 324.5 lb.-ft. of torque from 2900 r.p.m. to 5300 r.p.m. The heavier, thirstier and less torquey 340-hp 4.2 L V8 found in the S5 coupe has been sent out to its not-so-green pasture.
The sole transmission for the S5 cabriolet is a new seven-speed S Tronic twin-clutch unit.
Out on the breathtaking switchbacks just inland from the Mediterranean coast, this supercharged six delivered its considerable force in a linear, if not aurally exciting fashion, and pulled hard – right to its 7000 r.p.m. redline. The S Tronic gearbox, operated by paddle shifters or left to its own devices, banged off seamless and rapid shifts, accompanied by an interesting repertoire of farty blips on downshifts and woofs on upshifts.
For much of this test route, which resembled the trajectory of an intoxicated sailor, horsepower was not a pressing issue. More pertinent was the ability of Audi's latest cabrio to provide good grip and balanced handling.
The quattro full-time all-wheel drive with a default 60 per cent rear bias is a good start. Standard in the S5 cabriolet (and optional on the A5) is Audi Drive Select.
A trio of buttons (comfort, auto and dynamic) call up pre-programmed groupings of throttle response, shift maps and servotronic steering assist. Dynamic is the most aggressive. If the car is equipped with navigation, a fourth freely programmable level is available.
My S5 tester also featured the optional variable-rate dynamic steering and the new rear sport differential that will send torque to the outside rear wheel when cornering, essentially pushing the car around the bend. Mitsubishi and Acura use similar systems.
Also available will be electronic adaptive shock absorber control wherein 14 sensors determine the optimal damping rates per wheel, and adjust the firmness up to 1,000 times per second.
Phew. That's a whole lot of tech to throw at a car just to try to keep pace with the folks at BMW. Happily, all this computerized mechanical mojo integrates into a seamless whole, giving the S5 cabriolet some serious B-road cred. It grips like crazy and powers out of a turn like a good rear-drive car. The S5 readily eats up quick transitions and the steering is meaty, too.
No, the S5 cabriolet doesn't quite have the dynamic finesse of the BMW 335i cabriolet, nor the mellifluous exhaust note of the Bimmer's 300-hp turbo straight six (or an available manual transmission), but this is still a serious road burner.
As always, cutting the roof off a car compromises its structural integrity and, in this regard, the A5 cabriolet get a B-plus. Road imperfections send some quivers through the structure, although it's no worse than a topless BMW 3 Series. But I was hoping for better.
What you will get with this drop-top pair from Ingolstadt is the security of quattro all-wheel drive, exquisite attention to detail, Audi's trademark silken composure, and, I'm guessing, a whole lot of appreciative stares once away from the Côte d'Azur.
Travel was provided to freelance writer Peter Bleakney by the automaker. pebleakney@sympatico.ca
Woman's win over Honda opens door to mileage claim free-for-all
Video: Chevrolet Sonic a small car with a big car price
These four affordable, mid-size SUVs are worth a look
