Audi A3 CabrioletFAST FACTS* Model: 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet* Exterior color: Glacier White* Interior color: Chestnut Brown (leather)* Engine: 2.0-liter four cylinder (turbo)* Horsepower: 220* Transmission: six-speed automatic* Fuel economy: 32 mpg highway, 23 mpg city* Dealer: Audi Chattanooga* Price (as tested): $50,125
Fresh off the heels of the release of the sensational new 2015 A3 sedan last spring, Audi is now shipping to American shores a great example of late-summer road candy.
The luxury subcompact A3 Cabriolet, a four-passenger drop-top, is the first A3-based convertible to make it to North America and points to Audi's growing confidence that buyers here are ready for a whole collection of A3 spin-offs. For example, a 2015 A3 turbo-diesel has just hit the ground in Chattanooga, and you can look for the high-performance gas-powered S3 sedan to arrive soon.
Jarrett Caraway, sales manager at Audi Chattanooga, invited us out last week to sample the new A3 drop-top. We found it to be an admirable blend of clean design and high-quality craftsmanship. Notched between the two-seat Audi TT roadster and the larger A4 compact convertible, the A3 cabrio will appeal to convertible buyers who occasionally need a back seat (for little people) and enough trunk space for a holiday weekend. Our all-wheel-drive A3 convertible test car stickers for $50,125, but that includes more than $10,000 in options and delivery costs. The A3 Cabriolet Quattro starts at $39,495.
STYLING AND FEATURES
It's easy to picture our Glacier White A3 convertible tester charging up mountain roads in the crisp autumn air or headed south to Florida's breezy Gulf Coast for spring break. For those drivers like me who ordinarily find subcompacts a little tight in the shoulder- and hip-room departments, the A3 convertible opens the cabin to the great outdoors and cures any sensations of claustrophobia you might have.
Step away from the A3 convertible with the top down and its clean lines come into focus. The fabric roof automatically folds away and hides like a precision-engineered jack-in-the-box. While the car-maker says the 18-second operation can be done on the fly at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour, it seems to us that it would create quite a parachute effect if you were motoring into a headwind. To be safe, we pulled over before starting the automatic roof in motion.
It's a mystery to us why Audi designs seem proportionally pure, and VWs sister products seem slightly unfinished to our American eyes -- like a well-dressed man who has accidentally missed a belt loop. I guess it's the extra scrutiny that goes into designing luxury nameplates that accounts for Audi's aesthetic prowess. The A3 Cabriolet has a seamless beauty with the top down. A chrome strip outlines the windshield and rings the cabin at the window line. The roof folds away so neatly you barely notice the trim gaps around the storage tray. A horizontal crease flows from the headlamps back to the A3s nicely-rounded rump. The trademarked Singleframe grille, prominently featuring a four-ring emblem, instantly identifies the A3 as an Audi.
Inside, the A3 is simple, yet elegant. Our test car comes equipped with Chestnut Brown leather seats. The tailoring of the leather is first rate and the extra lateral support in the deep-cut seats comes in handy if you plan to fling the little convertible through curvy stretches of road.
Our test car comes equipped with a $8,450 Prestige package, a long set of options that include heated front seats, power folding outside mirrors, aluminum interior embellishments, LED interior lights, a terrific MMI voice navigation system, a rear-view camera, a Bang and Olufsen sound system and nifty 19-inch titanium-finish wheels. The navigation system is so realistic it seems as if a tiny drone with a high-def camera is following your car at altitude and beaming back a perfect picture of your surroundings.
Audi brand specialist Jon Riley demonstrated the car's high-end electronics which include a feature that turns the A3 into a 4G hot-spot for all your tablet and laptop computers. There is also a selection of driving mode settings, including one that can be set to your preferences for steering weight, throttle response and suspension tuning.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The beauty of the A3 Cabriolet is that it isn't just a little drop-top runabout. At its core it's still an Audi with all the mechanical goodness that implies. The A3 convertible features Audi's stout 2.0-liter turbocharged engine which makes an ample 220 horsepower (258 pound-feet of torque).
On our short test drive on two-lane roads along the banks of Chickamauga Lake the A3 was a blast to put through its paces. The power band is vast, and straight-line acceleration is pulse-quickening. The Quattro full-time all-wheel drive system automatically shifts power to any wheel that loses grip -- although that doesn't happen much on the standard Continental-brand summer tires.
The front seats are snug and comfortable, and the back seats are tilted back to create a little extra space. There isn't much leg-room back there, though.
BOTTOM LINE
Sales of the new A3 remain strong, and all the new cabriolet model should help fill a niche for enthusiasts who want the top down. Stay tuned for future reports about the new Q3, the new small SUV based on the A3 platform. Samples are due to arrive here any day.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.