When the motoring world is replacing its soft-top cars with folding tin-top versions Audi remains loyal to the cloth roof. The upside is that at least the car is clearly distinct from its saloon sibling, not to mention other run-of-the-mill tin-tops; the main downside is the fact that a cloth roof, even if it is a few layers thick, is not as secure as a folding tin-top.
The exterior changes are subtle but the big news is that the latest A4 Cabriolet now features an electric folding roof that takes just 20 seconds to fold, but more importantly can function at up to 30km/h. As any convertible driver will tell you, the worst thing to happen in a convertible car is to hold up traffic when you decide to do the operation on the road e.g. when you decide to lower the roof between traffic light changes!
Most convertibles will only allow the roof to open or close when the car is stationary. If you are in a convertible and are lowering the roof while the lights turn green then god help you. People love to hurl abuse at posers, especially if they’re in the way. Thankfully, I never experienced a single word of derision in my 2-litre test car.
The new A4 now saves those blushes while continuing the Audi tradition of being weighty and solid. The other big news is that now you can get not one but two diesel drop top A4s. The engine range starts with a 1.8 ‘Turbo’ petrol (€51,150) that pushes out 163bhp. A 2-litre Turbo FSi (200bhp) is next in line, and if you have a few extra quid to spend there is a super 3-litre V6 TDi that offers a healthy 233bhp and enough pulling power to tow a house. The well-heeled can opt for a V6 3.2-litre petrol (255bhp/€71,450), but if you want it all and can afford it a RS4 Cabriolet is available. The three gearbox options include a manual five-speed, six-speed, Tiptronic and Multitronic automatics.
The exterior features new clear glass lights front and rear, but only anoraks will notice these changes. Inside, apart from a few new bits of trim and fabric choices, the A4 Cabriolet continues to lead the way in its class.
On the road the A4 Cabriolet feels solid, with revised suspension, and overall the car is well mannered. The 2-litre has enough poke to keep most drivers happy but the car encourages a more sedate pace in keeping with the saloon soft-top ethos of ‘pose first drive later’. On the go the A4 delivers little or no scuttle shake and is super rigid.
The A4 Cabriolet feels a rock solid investment. Like all A4s there is a chunky built-to-last feel to the interior. The level of road noise through the hood is minimal, but if you want your A4 to be library quiet then you can get a thicker fabric hood from the options list.
If you look up ‘Class’ in the dictionary you’ll see Audi A4 Cabriolet beside it.
Michael Sheridan
