Audi's second-generation A3 Cabriolet launches at the Frankfurt motor show on Monday as a pure front-wheel drive machine.
Initially, the A3 Cabriolet will come with a 138-hp, 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, a 177-hp, 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, or a 148-hp, 2.0-liter turbodiesel. Of the three powerplants, only the 1.8-liter version gets a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The rest of the lineup runs six-speed manuals. Don't be surprised of the North American car is fitted with the 1.8-liter only.
The A3 Cabriolet will be last of the four-car A3 model range and will eventually be topped by the AWD 296-hp, 280-lb-ft, S3 Cabriolet. The S3 Cabriolet will reach 62 mph in 5.4 seconds, using a completely different six-speed dual-clutch transmission. A 109-hp, 1.6-liter TDI is also on Audi's A3 ragtop to-do list.
Larger in almost every dimension, the A3 Cabriolet is based on the premium version of the Volkswagen Group MQB modular small car architecture that sits beneath everything from the Volkswagen Golf to the next Audi A4. The "premium" end of the MQB means it carries a more sophisticated four-link independent rear suspension, as found in the rest of the A3 range and in the Golf GTi, along with electro-mechanical power steering.
Despite its extra size, Audi pulls the base weight down from 3119 lbs in the outgoing car to 3009 lbs in the new version, thanks largely to a body-in-white that is both stiffer and 66 lbs lighter, plus an aluminum hood and lighter engines.
The cloth roof folds in 18 seconds and at speeds of up to 31 mph, into a high-mounted plastic retainer bucket at the top of the luggage area, rather than a soft catch-all pouch. Audi claims the car is also quiet with its roof up, thanks to thicker acoustic foam inside the three layers of roof material.
Inside, the A3 Cabriolet transfers the critically acclaimed interior of the current A3 virtually unchanged, and though Audi offers three different standard specification levels, its only big "first" is optional touch-sensitive reading lights.
The car's options list is extensive, ranging from cruise control and 4G LTE internet transmission to the Audi Drive Select system (which changes the car's character depending on your preferences) and a smart navigation system that can find available parking spaces for you.
