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By
EWAN KENNEDY
4 August 2008
Audi's new A3 Cabriolet is a real blast from the past. Which is
not the sort of opening comment you might expect about a car
marque famed for its advanced technology. Indeed, the company’s
slogan, “Vorsprung durch Technik” translates into English as
Advancement through Technology.
But
the clever people at Audi have chosen to go back into the past to
create a smart new cabriolet body, and have then, naturally,
crammed it with the latest in automotive technology.
Other
recent small open-top cars have been styled to look like sporting
roadsters, so are severely compromised in their interior space.
They are really only being two seaters despite an alleged rear
seat being installed in many of them. But Audi has gone for an
old-style open-top arrangement that can seat four in comfort.
Well, relative comfort because the back seat, which is split into
two single seats, isn’t as spacious as in the A3 hatches. But
it’s way ahead of anything else in the class as a four-seater.
Ease
of entry to the rear compartment is simple as Audi has been an
expert in one-touch folding/sliding front seats since it blazed
the way in modern prestige small cars with the first A3 hatch in
1997.
Boot
space is quite good and the shape works nicely for that in a
cabriolet, though you do have to stoop to load it under an upwards
lifting lid. The rear seats can be folded independently of one
another to increase volume, and carry items up to 1.5 metres in
length. Golf clubs and the like are a breeze to get in there.
While
many others have gone for a folding hardtop, Audi has again gone
back to the past by using a soft-top. However, the top section of
the roof is done as a solid unit for better soundproofing. Also,
cleverly, the top of the roof acts as the top of the stowage
compartment when the cabin is opened to the skies. Porsche has
used this system in the Boxster since its inception and it’s
brilliantly simple.
Audi's
roof opens and closes very quickly, only nine seconds to go down
and eleven to close again. Meaning it can be done with ease at a
red traffic light. Or if you really want to show off it can be
operated at speeds up to 30 km/h, such as when you are
entering/leaving a carpark. Lookout for low a low roof, though!
Oddly,
Audi gives you the option of a folding roof that’s fully
automatic, or one with which you still have to manually
lock/unlock the roof at the windscreen rail. The full-auto version
will set you back $1300.
Two
petrol engines are offered at the Australian launch of the A3 Cab.
Both are turbocharged, one displaces 1.8 litres and produces 118
kW, the other is a 2.0-litre and is to a sportier tune to pump out
147 kW, or 200 horsepower in European terms.
At
the press introductory drive to the Audi A3 cabriolet in northern
Queensland we were only able to sample the 2.0-litre. It had
plenty of punch for good hillclimbing and quick overtaking and
turbo lag wasn’t too bad.
The
1.8 comes only with Audi's clever six-speed double-clutch S-Tronic
automated manual transmission, which is delightfully smooth and
quick in its shifts. The 2.0-litre gives the buyer the choice
between this transmission and a six-speed full-manual box. As keen
drivers, the latter is still our transmission of choice, even if
it’s not as quick as the automated unit…
Front
drive isn’t the best layout for nimble handler, but the Audi
feels pretty neutral and normal to a-bit-higher-than-normal
speeds, when understeer starts to rear its ugly, but safe, head.
For
a small car with such a big cabin the Audi's body is impressively
rigid. There's a trace of scuttle shake on really rough surfaces,
but on other roads it feels almost as tight as an A3 hatchback.
It’s not unusual for European cars to set up quite a racket on
coarse-chip bitumen, and the A3 Cab is no exception. But we’ve
heard worse and feel that not many buyers will be bothered by it.
Audi
Australia may introduce other engine and transmission choices
later. Perhaps even a diesel engine. The company has proved its
technical prowess in the last three Le Mans 24-hour races by
winning outright with its diesels, but is still a bit nervous
about how Australian driver don’t equate sportiness and diesels.
The
complete Audi A3 Cabriolet range, with prices (excluding on-road
costs) is:
1.8 TFSI Attraction: $49,900 (S tronic)
2.0 TFSI Ambition $54,900 ((6-speed manual), $57,500 (S tronic)
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Marque Publishing Company
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