 |
Take a good look at this A3. Zoom in on the working canvas and its related roof parts. See how it stretches all the way to Jamboree? Now observe how short the car's bootlid measures. You don't need to be a genius to figure out why it was done this way.
That huge gap between the roll bars and lid-pivot allows that black canvas to be folded, Z-fashion, into a surprisingly shallow stack. Furthermore, the rigid front section enables the elimination of a separate hood cover. Consequently, this A3 does not have that characteristic, "bloated," bell-end that plagues most "coupé-cabriolets" alike.
The best part is perhaps, the boot - a proper storage space with the same capacity, regardless of the top being up or down. The absence of a hard-top also means that the A3 is lighter, has less mechanical parts and works at tested speeds of up to 30 km/h.
It strips its top in 9 to 11 seconds - almost half the time taken by your girlfriend and/or wife on a normal day, and when compared to most of its competitors.
In typical Audi fashion, you'll be able to get your A3 with those bright daytime running "LED-brows" along with a little aluminium here and there.
Overall, the car looks the part of the Audi bloodline - nothing unconventional, groundbreaking or revolutionary. But with the top down, you're bound to attract lots of stares courtesy of its handsome facade.
Open the boot and you'll find two levers on the left and right walls. Tug on them, and you'll get an instant boost in storage space, from a mild 264 litres to a whopping 674. The rear seats fold down via the aforementioned levers (see pictures) to make this happen.
The story changes somewhat with the top up, though, and suddenly you are finding yourself staring at a Fiat Punto cabrio from the nineties. But not to worry - the Audi is still very much a solid, understated and classy vehicle. The air-conditioning vents are now a rendition of the S3, and the leather-trimmed steering wheel, centre console, and red-tinted seats are to die for in the usual German way.
We might give a second pass at the cooler's switches and wiper/signal stalks though - they feel unusually flimsy for an Audi. Also, the lever that jacks the front seats forward is unusually iffy to operate, but that's as far as it goes.
 |
Driving Impressions
MY first encounter with the A3 involved myself reversing it down a tight driveway with stone kerbs on both sides. Where the new convertible demands accurate reversing, you'll find yourself mildly irritated because its tail is so high, you can't see anything behind you unless you stand up with the top down.
But parking sensors and oh-so-gigantic, side mirrors saved my bacon.
Straight to it then - many of you must be wondering if the A3 cabriolet shudders violently over road irregularities like an Alfa Spider, or if it's rock-solid like a Mercedes-Benz SLR.
Audi claims to have enough strength in the body to compensate for the lack of roof, employing the use of extra high-tensile steel for the windscreen pillars, a box-like structure between the rear seat's base and the boot, V-shaped braces and front/rear aluminium subframes.
So does it shudder? Yes. But very little, most probably when you cut a fast one through a corner decorated with speed strips. Think of it as a MINI Cooper Cabrio, but 10-percent less "tight." That's an awesome accomplishment for a car weighing nearly 1,500 kg and measuring over 4.2 metres in length.
It has a comfort-biased suspension setup that's the right compromise between spirited and comfortable driving, and it filters out nasty frequencies that the 17 inch wheels would otherwise have transmitted through those 225/45 profile Michelin Primacy HPs.
A great nimble character this is, nibbling away at corners with the sort of agility that again, can only be described as MINI-like. You're not going to notice the 120 plus kilogramme weight penalty over the standard hatch. When you do, it's mostly in the form of understeer through the front suspension.
Ultimately, you're going to feel the shimmies and shivers through the steering column, but there's a total absence of torque steer, especially when you consider the 160 bhp 1.8-litre turbo in the engine bay, a short first gear and the 7-speed dual-clutch S-tronic gearbox.
Different in character from the lusty 2.0-litre TFSI of the Golf GTI, this smaller, more efficient plant feels really great when revved past 4,500 rpm. It's overall, more linear than its bigger brother.
But would you buy one?
Things are looking good for the A3 cabriolet. Firstly, it's understated enough to appeal to the masses. At just over $157,000, it's not very expensive for what it's capable of. There's more legroom than the similarly-priced 120i cabriolet, and while the A3 cannot match the BMW's driving dynamics, it equals or betters it in everyday real-world driving performance abilities.
Most importantly, the A3 cabriolet is the perfect compromise. It's quick enough without being uncomfortable, and practical enough to demand attention from a fun family of four. What's there not to like?
