2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet revealed

Audi has officially revealed the 2017 A5 Cabriolet, ahead of its public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 14. This marks the third variant of the new-gen A5 line-up, after the A5 Coupe and A5 Sportback.

The A5 Cabriolet gets a fabric soft top roof which takes 15 seconds to open and 18 seconds to close. The roof can even be operated while the car is moving at speeds up to 50 km/h. The Cabriolet's design is in accordance with that of the Coupe version. However, the company has made some changes to the car's structure to compensate for the loss of a rigid metal roof. These changes include additional struts and reinforced sills. Other design elements, especially on the front, remain similar to the ones found on the coupe. The rear gets a third brake light that has been integrated into a strip ahead of the trunk lid. On the coupe, this brake light is a part of the rear windshield. However, the Cabriolet doesn't get a permanent windshield, thus making it necessary to integrate the brake light somewhere else.

The new A5 Cabriolet is 47 mm longer than its predecessor, and has a 14 mm longer wheelbase. As a result, cabin space on offer has been improved as compared to the older model. The front seats are slimmer, which help in liberating more space at the rear. The company claims to have made an increase of 18 mm in the rear knee room, as compared to the model it replaces. The boot space too has been upped by 60 litres, as it now stands at 380 litres.

Features on offer with the A5 Cabriolet include a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, Audi virtual cockpit, Audi phone box with Qi charger, and MMI navigation plus with MMI touch. Multiple driver assistance systems are also on offer, including adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, collision avoidance assist, turn assist, park assist, rear cross traffic assist, exit warning, camera-based recognition of traffic signs, Audi active lane assist and Audi side assist.

The 2017 A5 Cabriolet will launch in Europe with three engine options - a 2.0 TFSI with 248 BHP, a 2.0 TDI with 188 BHP and a 3.0 TDI with 216 BHP. A 2.0 TFSI with 188 BHP and a 3.0 TDI with 282 BHP will join the line-up later. The gearbox menu includes a six-speed manual, a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch unit and an eight-speed tiptronic auto. The A5 Cabriolet gets front-wheel drive as standard while Audi's famed Quattro AWD system is an option.

There is also a high-performance S5 Cabriolet variant on offer. It is powered by a 3.0-litre TFSI engine that develops 349 BHP. The S5 gets Quattro AWD system and 8-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox as standard. The company claims that the 2017 S5 Cabriolet can accelerate from naught to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds, before hitting its electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.