Audi Australia has just launched its newest addition to the A3 range—the all-new A3 Cabriolet—and they’re pretty chuffed, by the looks.
Audi Australia’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, says “The A3 Cabriolet clearly reflects Audi’s brand values of sporty, progressive and sophisticated—with two dynamic turbocharged direct injection engines, Audi achieves the seemingly opposite goals of excellent performance combined with fuel efficiency, matched with an elegant design which is equally attractive in roof-up or roof-down modes. We expect the A3 Cabriolet to be extremely successful in Australia because it offers a multitude of flexible features—from the fun of driving with the roof down, to space for four people, excellent safety features, plenty of luggage space and genuine good looks.”
Well, he has to say all those nice things doesn’t he. I do agree, however, that the A3 Cabrio looks great—it is a stunning car—although I’m not sure how well it will sell down under. Though, I expect Audi Australia has realistic expectations on that front.
At launch, the A3 Cabriolet is available with two turbocharged 4-cylinder engines. Pricing starts at $49,900 for the 118kW 1.8 TFSI Attraction, fitted with Audi’s 6-speed double clutch S tronic transmission. The Ambition models, featuring the 147kW 2.0 TFSI, start at $54,900 for the 6-speed manual and $57,500 for the S tronic. The first sign of cost saving with the A3 Cabriolet is evident with the roof being soft top only. The second, and most likely the last, is that the standard roof is semi-automatic only, although it does open in an impressive 9 seconds. However, for an extra $1300 a fully automatic soft top is available, and your extra cash also gets you a bit more sound proofing.