Audi A5 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI 252 quattro S line S tronic 2017 first drive

We Brits are second only to the Germans when it comes to the number of convertibles, such as this Audi A5 Cabriolet, sold in the, err, Milky Way? Or is it Europe? Anyway, it doesn’t matter because it’s trite. We’ve heard statements such as these a million times before, and so what - who cares about prosaic sales figures? It’s the emotional side of cars we enjoy, and what we should be asking is 'why?' Why, on an island where drizzle counts as clement, do we buy so many open tops? 

Two reasons, perhaps. The plucky Brit’s stiff upper lip for one: 'Balderdash to bally drizzle; we’ll not let a drop of water stop us!'; and secondly, our optimism and sense of fun. Yes, it’s raining now, but so what. At some point the sun is bound to peekaboo from behind a cloud, flushing our veins full of the essence of life as we whizz down the B1243 towards nirvana, with nothing but God above with a thumbs-up, smiling down as we smile right back. Well, something to that effect. 

Above all else then, this all-new Audi A5 Cabriolet needs to be fun and make us smile. So, does it?

Although we've denounced statistics, here’s one that may pique your interest: this new second-generation A5 Cabriolet is 55kg lighter than its predecessor. As we know, lighter is good, so along with a power boost of 22bhp and the injection of an extra 15lb ft of torque from the car's upgraded 2.0 TFSI 252 petrol engine, nearly a second has been slashed from the 0-62mph sprint. And as if someone were thrusting cake at you quicker than you could eat it, it’ll still manage another 5mpg and emits 18g less CO2/km. Plus, being a petrol and Euro 6 compliant, Mayor Khan will beckon you into London without the need to pay a T-charge toll. 

The A5 Cabriolet's standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is mostly smooth and snappy – bar the usual jerkiness at slow speeds. And if you put it in to manual mode, hold the car in third and accelerate, you’ll discover a very linear power delivery all the way from 1500rpm around to 6000rpm, when it finally starts to wane. Which also means solid if not scintillating performance, with the ability to get past lumbering lorries in the hinterland without too much stress. 

So, it’s great then? Ah, no. Remember that sense of fun we targeted? Well, this is an engine completely devoid of character. Linear it may be, but there’s no exponential power explosion to encourage you to rev it to the final furlong, or indeed aural delights to stir the soul. A mildly gravelly, but mostly insipid, four-pot whimper is about your lot. That said, with its main rivals, the BMW 430i and Mercedes-Benz C 300, having just four-cylinders too, you could argue it's merely a sign of the times.