Audi to Proceed with A5 Cabrio

It’s the end of the line for Audi’s beautiful A4 Cabriolet. The soft-top convertible is being been phased out of production as the new generation A4 is already being made, as is the all-new A5 sports coupe.

Wipe those teary eyes, mind you, as there’s no need to cry. The next-generation Audi midsize convertible will be an A5 rather than an A4, as expected, and unlike convertible offerings from BMW, Volvo and Volkswagen, it will not feature a folding hardtop roof. Audi has advanced its cloth convertible top with features like Acoustic Roof for wind noise and road noise reductions. Other benefits of the fabric top include compactness for better cargo space and reduced weight, as well as cost. Additionally it gives designers more freedom over the styling of their vehicles, and let’s face it, cloth tops often look better than their retractable hardtop counterparts.


Essentially, the lineup of the A5 Cabriolet will reflect the regular A5 range, which means that here in North America it will be available with the 3.2-liter direct-injection V6 engine with Valvelift, making 265 horsepower, although other choices including the new-generation 2.0T may become available later. And, following in the footsteps of the A4 Cabriolet, expect to see a V8-powered S5 Cabriolet and an extra-high performance RS5 model.

Although an official timeline has not been released for the A5 Cabriolet, the new model should arrive at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit early next January. Audi will also be bringing A5 Cabriolet production in-house, shifting it away from Karmann which produced the A4 Cabriolet, as well as its Audi 80 Cabriolet predecessor, at its Osnabruck facility in Germany.