2015 Audi A3 Convertible Review

India has one of the largest automobile markets in the world. We have all sorts of body styles on offer here. The evergreen hatchback, the aspirational sedan, the macho SUV and of course the family oriented MPV. Sadly though, convertibles in recent years have never taken the fancy of the Indian automotive manufacturers for reasons that seem to baffle us. That said though, if you do have a bit of money saved away and are willing to spend about 50 lakhs on a car you might want to see past the norm and look at something like this. The new Audi A3 convertible.

Exterior styling  rating_4.5_rating

While A3 sedan is quite cool in its own right, loosing the roof and two doors makes the convertible stand out even more. We have always liked the way this compact Audi looks with its edgy styling and wide stance but the cabriolet takes everything good about the A3 and makes it even better. (Also Read : Audi A3 Sedan Review) The brushed aluminium surround for the front windshield to the chrome trim that envelops the cabin, every little detail is just a tad bit more exciting.

But everything is academic the second you push the button on the centre console and the traditional fabric roof collapses neatly into the back revealing a million miles of sky as your own personal playground. And boy are we glad Audi has stuck to its guns and continued with the traditional soft top approach to the convertible conundrum instead of using a metal folding roof. In our opinion, soft top cabriolet’s although said to be less practical, definitely have more charisma and character.

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Interior & space  rating_4.5_rating

The Audi A3 cabriolet shares most of its interior with the sedan. Which means it gets one of the cleanest and most uncluttered dashboards you can buy today. But, while that is a positive on the sedan, we think a cabriolet’s interiors should always have a sense of occasion, not just for the driver but also for the little kid peeping into it from the back seat of their average family car.

That said, the front seats are really comfortable, even though they are manually adjustable and the overall fit and finish is precisely what we would expect from an Audi. The Audi A3 can never really be your primary car as it just isn’t practical enough. The rear seats could fit a pair of children, or supermodels depending on your lifestyle choices, but your childhood friend who is bulging around the edges might find it a bit uncomfortable to get in.

Coming to the roof itself, the Audi A3 convertible’s roof can go from open to shut or vice versa in just 18 seconds. And it can do it while the car is moving at speeds up to 50kmph, which can prove quite useful, is like us you encounter a freak thunderstorm and torrential rainfall in the middle of a hot April day! What we did find rather annoying is how much road noise and air turbulence manages to get into the cabin with the roof up, something that is missing on the likes of say a Mercedes-Benz E-Class cabriolet. There is also quite a lot of wind buffering in the cabin when the roof is down, a problem that can be sorted using a manually installable wind deflector.

Features & Equipment  rating_3.5_rating

The A3 cabriolet does share the interior with the sedan, which means it gets a simple and uncluttered dashboard, great quality switches, and those directional AC vents, which we love. It also gets the slide up display and if you are willing to pay a tad bit more, the multimedia touch interface and satellite navigation.

We are disappointed by the fact that the A3 does not get electronically adjustable seats or even a push button start-stop system which is slightly disappointing considering the money you are paying for one of these. We also think Audi should incorporate an electronic extension arm for the seat belt just like you get in other slightly more expensive 4-seater convertibles that help the front seat passengers reach for their seatbelts with a lot more ease than usual.

Engines & performance  rating_4.0_rating

The A3 cabriolet is powered exclusively by the 1.8 turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox that you also get in the sedan. At 180PS, there might not be much to write home about but the engine is very responsive which does make for a rather fun driving experience.

And of course, with the roof off, you can really hear the engine purr and grunt every time you get on the throttle and go through the gears. There is even a little rumble in the exhaust note every time you shift down a gear or two. And gladly, unlike the sedan, the A3 cabriolet also gets paddle shifters, which as always does add a tad bit of excitement to your overall driving experience.

Ride and Ease of Driving  rating_4.0_rating

As we have always maintained, the Audi A3 is quite a comfortable car and this holds true with the convertible variant too. In fact, the A3 convertible lacks the typical uneasiness that comes the lack of a roof. We also were pleasantly surprised at how the Audi A3 is high enough to traverse some pretty unforgiving terrain and not bottom out even once! Coming back to the ride quality though, although the A3 does ride really well, with the roof up we did find the constant creaking and rattling of the roof frame to be rather annoying especially while traversing over rougher roads.

If there was ever a car though where visibility wasn’t an issue though, it would be the A3 convertible. The new windscreen though might be a bit of a hassle to people who are over 6 feet tall as it has been inclined inwards and lowered as compared as the one you find on the sedan.

Handling & Braking  rating_4.0_rating

Now most cars that often start out as sedans and then make their way to the convertible body style often get a little soft when it comes to the way they handle as they loose most of their rigidity. The A3 cabriolet though feels almost similar to its four-door cousin in the way it handles. This only holds true till a certain limit of course. At higher speeds, the A3 convertible does feel a little uncomfortable, especially around long swooping corners with randomly placed undulation like the found a dime a dozen on India’s highways.

And in any case, the A3 convertible was never meant to be a sports car but more of a boulevard cruiser. A car you take to your holiday home at the nearest hill station or something you take out at night for a relaxing drive with a buddy or two.

Price and Fuel efficiency  rating_3.0_rating

Convertibles are far and few between in India and the Audi A3 convertible is the second cheapest convertible you can buy in India (after the Mini Cooper Convertible). That said, the A3, even with its slight feminine appeal does appeal to us mainly because it does offer much more than most other cars that are priced similarly. And although someone who buys something like this doesn’t really care about fuel economy, the A3 does return about 15 kilometres per litre if driven sedately.

Verdict  rating_4.0_rating

It is very easy to sum this car up. It has the advantages you get with the A3 sedan, the sheer thrill and pantomime of an open top convertible and of course, the added pride that comes with driving and owning something this special.

The A3 convertible may not be as practical as a top of the line A4 or a base model A6 that costs about as much but as an automotive package, it is certainly more thrilling. And although some might argue that at Rs 45 lakh it isn’t as pratical, for most buyers this will be a second or third car. Should you consider it? Well, if you are in the market for a stylish convertible, there is nothing available in India today that offers as much value as this does and yet allows you to indulge in a bit of fun.