AUDI A4 CABRIOLET

on sale Jan 2006

“So would you class yourself as romantic?” I asked my latest boyfriend who of course emphatically agreed that he was. He was most definitely good looking and very good at DIY, but as I discovered, romantic, never. Of course, nobody is perfect and in my experience, a relationship is based on what characteristics you can put up with. At the time, DIY was more important than romance!

Products are much the same. So can I live with the new Audi A4 Cabriolet, which is gorgeous to look at, is reasonably practical for a cabriolet, but has such heavy long doors? Every time I try to get out of it, the doors inevitably push me back inside the cabin. If I try to get into the cabin and I am parked near to another car, it’s just as though an unseen hand is pulling the door shut as I am trying to gently pull it open! We have had such a battle of wills this week!

Doors apart, the new A4 Cabriolet, which went on sale earlier this year, now has the single frame grille that typifies the Audi brand. The soft top hood can now be opened electro hydraulically at the press of a button in just 21 seconds, five seconds faster than its predecessor. One advantage is that the hood can be operated when driving up to a speed of 18mph, which is particularly convenient when it is not always possible to stop and if it starts raining. The glass rear window is heated which helps visibility, but unfortunately not enough. When I tried reversing into a spot in a multi storey car park, I just couldn’t see using the rear view mirror at all. I had to use the wing mirrors, parking sensors and intuition!!

The striking exterior looks are echoed in the interior, which has very luxurious fabrics and trim. The instruments are well laid out and easy to understand and use. The dashboard has a wrap around effect and the most important controls are located under a dome shaped cover at a higher than average height, so that you don’t have to drop your eyes too far from the road.

The seats fore and aft positions can be adjusted practically infinitely, in increments of 3mm, so most drivers will be able to find their ideal driving position. The seat surface is longer than the norm in this vehicle class, and provides excellent thigh support. The rear seats offer plenty of space for a cabriolet, even for tall occupants, making this a genuine four seater. It is also quite simple to access the rear seats as the front seat back folds and then the whole seat pushes forward.

There is also more room than average for luggage, with a capacity of 315 litres with the roof closed. I did think there should have been more small storage spaces throughout the cabin though.

The new Audi A4 Cabriolet was launched with a choice of four engine versions, two new petrol engines, with FSi petrol direct injection, a 1.8 litre turbo and a powerful 3 litre diesel. Other engines will be added at a later date. I road tested the new 2 litre turbo FSi, which was awarded the title ‘Engine of the Year’. It is the first time that the combination of turbocharger and FSi petrol direct injection has been offered for a convertible. The technology was previously used in the five times Le Mans Winner, the Audi R8.

What you get is a fuel efficient driving style with few gearshifts needed. Independent research has shown that while driving through a busy city, 150 gear changes are needed in an hour, so you can either opt for the turbo FSi, or go for the automatic multitronic transmission, which will cost £1,450 extra.

This new engine only needs a light touch on the accelerator to produce a very assertive thrust and a spontaneous unleashing of power which when I first drove the car, quite caught me off guard. 0-62mph takes just 8.2 seconds and Audi says, it will go on to a top speed of 144mph. Combined fuel consumption is a reasonable 33.2mpg.

The new multitronic automatic transmission combines the benefits of a manual gearbox with a seven speed automatic transmission, which the driver can activate using the one touch function, or by pressing the optional shift paddles on the steering wheel.

All new A4 Cabriolets come with the latest generation ESP as standard as well as the more usual range of safety braking systems and airbags.

On the road, the Audi A4 Cabriolet costs from £25,730. The new 2 litre turbo FSi engine cost £26,600 otr. and if you can live with the small imperfections, it really is a great driving companion.
By Sue Cooke