The New Audi A5 And Audi S5 Cabriolet Are Coming
In order to complete the model range of the all-new Audi A5 family, the all-new 2018 Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolet will make their US debut at the 2017 North American International Auto Show. While both vehicles offer unparalleled performance, the Audi S5 Cabriolet is clearly the high-performance option, perfect for owners that love to mix the sound of the engine, amazing driving dynamics, impressive cornering performance and open-top driving in one vehicle.
Both the Audi A5 and Audi S5 come with a fully automatic soft top that opens in 15 seconds and closes in 18 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph and seating for up to four. In turn, this makes them a perfect combination of design, top-down driving and dynamic performance.
The Audi A5 And S5 Soft-Top And Interior
The Audi A5 and S5 come with a full open-air driving experience afforded to the driver. They feature a fully electronic top that can be lowered using the new one-touch opening function, in just 15 seconds, at speeds of up to 31 mph. While some manufacturers have went with a hard-top, the soft-top on the Audi A5 and S5 complements the car’s design and delivers outstanding acoustics thanks to effective insulation. When opened, the top folds into three layers and rests in a tray underneath the luggage compartment thereby offering the largest possible luggage space at all times.
Both vehicles, thanks to a smart mix of materials and lightweight design, are 40 percent more rigid but lighter than their predecessors, namely the Audi A5 is 40 kilograms less than its predecessor, while the Audi S5 comes in at 40 kilograms lighter. While some may view both numbers as something not as important in reality, these will make a car handle better, perform better and consume less fuel (specially when combined with fuel-efficient high-tech engines of today as well).
Additionally, both the Audi A5 and Audi S5 have increased in length and width, yielding 26 milimiteres more front passenger shoulder room and 30mm rear legroom. Combine less weight with more room and you get one seriously interesting positive impact of the new vehicles.
The Engines For the A5 and S5
The Audi A5 Cabriolet comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 252 hp and 370 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a seven-speed S tronic® dual-clutch automatic transmission. The vehicle can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.0 seconds, an improvement of 0.6 seconds compared to the previous generation.
For the Audi S5 Cabriolet, the re-engineered 3.0-liter TFSI® V6 engine produces an impressive 354 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque. Just as the A5, it comes with an all-new dual-clutch transmission system, but unlike the A5, the S5 features an eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission that is well suited for the low-end torque of the new 3.0-liter turbocharged engine. Thanks to this combination, the Audi S5 Cabriolet is capable of hitting 100km/h from a standstill, in only 4.8 seconds, half a second faster than its predecessor.
Both the Audi A5 and Audi S5 come standard-equipped with quattro® all-wheel drive. In turn, this offers enhanced agility through a self-locking center differential, with a basic ratio of 40:60 front to rear, and wheel-selective torque control.
A redesigned front five-link suspension with lightweight construction offers greater steering precision and excellent handling through optimized steering-rack placement direct at wheel centers. Suspension tuning enhancements have also improved through the wider track and longer wheelbase. Available dynamic steering (S5 models only) offers a variable steering ratio that adjusts based on vehicle speed and the Audi drive select setting.
Final Thoughts
Both the Audi A5 and Audi S5 Cabriolet feature some well-known design cues in the interior and exterior, together with appealing engines and performance numbers. While many have praised both vehicles in the previous versions, we however feel that the design language of the entire new Audi A4 and Audi A5 model range isn’t a quantum leap forward, featuring a rather tame evolutionary step that will note excite a lot of owners.
The vehicles clearly look good, come with interesting performance and design cues, but for many, the offerings from BMW, Audi, Lexus, and even Volvo, will make the selling point for the A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet that much harder.
We’ve added the full media gallery of the Audi A5 Cabriolet and the Audi S5 Cabriolet, all in high-resolution photographs right below.
