Cabernet Franc is a black grape grown just to make Cabernet Sauvignon wine from it. The wine one of the most widely preferred one and it is a hybrid of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Making wine is complicated, and so is designing a cabriolet. Because a cabriolet also has a fixed hard top version and both the designs need to be impressive. A cabriolet buyer looks at a car differently from a normal car buyer.
We have got our hands on Audi’s new A3 Cabriolet, which is certainly the most affordable luxury cabriolet in India. Read further as we take down the top.
The A3 Cabriolet looks a lot more classy and stylish than the regular A3. Maybe the two-doors add on to the magic, but it is purely when the roof is down. It is worth a million bucks. Every time you see the car you carry a grin and this is what makes it special. There is nothing different in the styling of the front or the rear of the convertible and the normal four-door version, yet the two stand apart. With the top raised, the A3 Cabriolet looks like something is missing, but still it will turn heads.
The interiors of the A3 Cabriolet are the same like the A3. With the new circular AC vents one can adjust the vents and the flow of intensity with the nozzle-like design. Then there is the latest iteration of Audi’s MMI (multimedia interface) where a screen pops-out when you crank the engine. This isn’t seen on any other Audi models in India, the A3 is the first to have it.
But then are some downsides too. The seat adjustment is manual and roof takes about 18 seconds to open up. The front row seats are large, supportive and have enough room even for tall people.
However, the second is has almost negligible kneeroom, it could be difficult for even kids to sit behind. It is better to be used as a two-seater. There is a lot of outside noise that is audible in the cabin, even when the roof is raised.
Audi has plonked in a 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine in the A3 Cabriolet and this generates 177bhp of power. It doesn’t have that thrust to push you back into the seat and it doesn’t need it. Cabriolets aren’t about speed, they are more about the drive, enjoying every moment you spend behind the wheel, and it accelerating at a pace when the wind just talks to you and not tear off your hair. The engine has linear acceleration and there is sufficient power produced to drive in traffic or even on an open road.
Like any Audi, the A3 Cabriolet also comes with Efficiency, Comfort, Dynamic and Individual modes. One thing that is different of the A3 is that its steering wheel is a lot lighter than the previous Audis, and also the steering size is proportionate, I did feel the size of the wheel to be bigger on the A4. In the Dynamic mode, the steering doesn’t weigh up much.
The ride of the A3 Cabriolet in any of the modes is sublime and one doesn’t feel any kind of road shocks at any given point of time. Even on broken tarmac roads, the suspension does a fairly good job.
The handling too is good enough. The feedback from the steering wheel is good despite being light enough. This is another plus for the A3 Cabriolet.
The A3 Cabriolet is a CBU and hence its on-road price somewhere close INR 50 lakhs, which is steep as it is C-Class price territory. But at the moment, there are no convertibles at this price and lower is the Mini Convertible, which lacks the features that the A3 possesses. Lets be honest, when you look at the car and get behind the wheel you will agree to pay even a more hefty price for the A3 Cabriolet if needed, and that rests the case.