The Audi A3 Cabriolet was unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo in India. The head of Audi India Joe King was excited to see this beauty at their booth and so was I.
While the car doesn’t promise you the moon, it definitely promises that you’ll get noticed. The Audi A3 Cabriolet looks very similar to the A3 sedan but is more pricey by nearly Rs 20 lakh, and without a solid rooftop. It comes to India as a completely built unit. so you basically get a taste of complete German engineering.
Even with the roof down it’s not an impractical car at all. The car shines with an aluminium finish on the door, and the S-Line trim comes as a standard on this one.
Key Specifications: Audi A3 Cabriolet
- Engine: 1.8 TFSI (40 TFSI)
- Power: 180 hp
- Torque: 250 Nm
- Transmission: 7speed S tronic transmission
- 0-100 km/h: 7.8 sec
- Top Speed: 242 km/h
- Wheels: 17-inch 5 spoke cast aluminium alloy wheel
- Bi-Xenon head lamps with LED daytime running lights – LED rear lights
- Lightweight soft top with fast electrohydraulic drive
- Price: Rs 44.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
The Interiors
The interiors of the A3 Cabriolet are just like the A3 Sedan. It’s well fitted, solid, has luxury and finesse written all over it and you really have nothing to complain about.
The Milano leather seats are welcoming but unlike the A3 the Cabriolet is made for just two people. It’s a 3-door car and it’s not that comfortable for tall people in the rear seat. The boot of the car is also not as big as the A3 sedan but then that retractable roof has to stored somewhere right? The boot space is enough for two golf bags.
The A3 Cabriolet also has Audi’s MMI panel with a 7-inch display, and the Audi sound system on the car we had was pretty awesome. But if you want a bit of exclusivity you can also go for the optional Bang & Olufsen system.
The Roof!
The Audi A3 Cabriolet’s USP is it’s roof. With a press of a button it takes about 20 seconds for it to come off the car. And if you try doing that on a traffic signal, it will catch everyone’s attention of everyone. The car is intelligent too – the moment you want the roof down it switches off the aircon system automatically and once you get the roof up it turns on the climate control. It’s a process that requires only the effort of one finger.
If you have the swag to pull it off you can play around with the roof while driving the car as well, the only catch is that it should be doing under 20 km/h.
What’s Under the Hood?
The A3 Cabriolet comes in just one engine option in India. The 1.8-litre TSFI petrol turbocharged motor is the same engine that you get on the regular A3 as well.
The 180 bhp is more than enough to satisfy anyone’s hunger with a roof down in India. The 7-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission is lightning fast and effortless. With a fabric roof it weighs less and you get a good hairstyle with the roof down in just 7.8 seconds because that’s what it takes for the A3 Cabriolet to do a 0-100 km/h. The car can achieve a top speed of 242km/h and the 17-inch alloy offer ample grip to the road even at high speed manoeuvring.
The steering is responsive but not as much as we would have liked.
What do we Think?
The A3 Cabriolet comes at a price tag of Rs 44.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). In that price there are plenty of good options in the market but none of them are convertibles.
There is no car in the Indian market that you can compare the A3 Cabriolet with and at best it can be your tertiary car for weekend joyrides or making trips to your Golf Club.
While the Audi A3 can be anyone’s first true blue luxury car, the A3 Cabriolet promises to be just the right start if you are looking for a convertible. You won’t regret this one at all.
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