2017 Audi A3 Cabriolet Review
2017 Audi A3 Cabriolet – Click above for high resolution image gallery

2017 Audi A3 Cabriolet Review

Car Tested: 2017 Audi A3 Cabriolet; Road Test No. 853

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 56.39 lakhs

A convertible which is practical for day-to-day usage, the Audi A3 Cabriolet!

It was an unusually lazy Saturday morning when I woke up and remembered that I had a bright little car parked in my driveway, waiting for me to come and take it out to stretch its legs. I quickly got ready and headed to the car, with amused looks from neighbours since they found the yellow colour quite fascinating. Yes, I’m talking about the updated Audi A3 Cabriolet which now gets tweaks to the styling and of course, just like some other Audis, comes with a downsized petrol engine. The older Cabriolet was quite fun to drive, thanks to the 1.8-litre TFSI engine but will the smaller engine live up to the expectations?

Motor Quest: Audi has been downsizing their petrol engines since a while now. The new generation A4 gets a 1.4-litre petrol engine and so does the A3 facelift, which earlier used to get a 1.8-litre unit. Now, even the A3 Cabriolet gets the same 1.4-litre TFSI unit which is also shared with some other cars in the VAG line-up.

[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/36211134353/[/flickr]

The A3 Cabriolet is a looker, with this yellow colour complementing it more

Exteriors – Audi has made some changes to the exteriors in this mid-life facelift of the A3 Cabriolet. First up, the car comes with redesigned front and rear bumpers with bolder styling. It also gets the typical hexagonal Audi grille. Then, it also gets optional Matrix LED headlamps. The side profile remains largely unchanged save for the rather boring 16-inch wheels, while at the rear you get tweaked tail lights too. The dimensions of the Cabrio, however, are similar to the older model. The canvas roof comes in a contrasting black shade and can be opened/closed at speeds of up to 50 km/hr and the whole opening and closing operation does look dramatic.

[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/36183507504/[/flickr]

While minor changes have been made, the interior continues to remain functional

Interiors – The interior layout is again similar to the older A3 with some changes here and there. You get a 7.0-inch display for the updated MMI system that also comes with navigation and Park Assist with a rearview camera. The steering wheel is now a flat-bottom unit. While the earlier model had a black and beige layout, the current A3 gets an all-black theme. Audi also offers 5 airbags, ABS with EBD and a dual-zone AC. While the cabin of the car isn’t too large, you can’t call it cramped either.

[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/36183507254/[/flickr]

Boot space is decent enough for a convertible

Being an Audi, quality of materials used everywhere is expectedly top-class

At the front, space is pretty decent and the seats have very good comfort and support levels. Surprisingly, you don’t get electric adjustment even for the driver’s seat! The steering feels good to hold and ergonomics everywhere are spot-on. The doors open wide and getting into the rear isn’t much of a task since the front seats slide all the way ahead. Space for rear passengers is a bit limited though but average-sized passengers won’t have much of a problem on not-so-long drives. Boot space isn’t really huge but more than enough to hold bags for a weekend getaway.