Audi Introduces A5 TDI Cabriolet with Start&Stop

22 February, 2009 06:17:00

Font size:

Audi has introduced the new A5 Cabriolet - the four-seater with the fabric top combines a distinctly sporty character with the fascination of open-top driving, refined comfort and a great everyday utility.

Audi equips the A5 Cabriolet with three different drivetrains. The 2.0 TFSI with 155 kW (211 hp) and the 2.7 TDI come standard with a six-speed manual transmission featuring short throws for precise gear changes. Internal friction is minimal. The two two-liter engines and the 3.2 FSI can be equipped with the multitronic continuously variable automatic transmission. It combines smooth operation, high efficiency and fuel-saving gear ratios. When speed is of the essence, multitronic offers a sport mode and a manual mode with eight simulated gear ratios.

Audi offers the seven-speed S tronic as an option for the stronger of the two 2.0 TFSI engines and the 3.2 FSI. It is standard with the 3.0 TDI. Like a mechanical gearbox, the S tronic uses pairs of gear wheels to create seven gear ratios.

Displacing 2,967 cc, the three-liter engine generates 176 kW (240 hp) and applies 500 Nm (368.78 lb-ft) of torque to the crankshaft. The sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) takes 6.4 seconds. Top speed is 247 km/h (153.48 mph). This top-of-the-line diesel, which powers all four wheels via the seven-speed S tronic transmission, consumes only 6.8 liters/100 km (34.59 US mpg).

The second TDI in the program is even thriftier: The 2.7-liter unit with 140 kW (190 hp) and 400 Nm (295.02 lb-ft) between 1,400 and 3,250 rpm boasts an average fuel consumption of only 6.2 liters/100 km (37.94 US mpg). The smaller of the two diesels, which displaces 2,698 cc, is paired with front-wheel drive and a manual transmission. The key data: 0 – 100 km/h (62.14 mph) and a top speed of 230 km/h (142.92 mph).

The entry-level diesel engine is the 125 kW (170 hp) 2.0 TDI. Its average fuel consumption is a mere 5.6 liters/100 km (42 US mpg) (preliminary figure). The four-cylinder unit displacing 1,968 cc combines driving enjoyment and refinement with high efficiency. That suffices to launch the Audi A5 Cabriolet to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 9.3 seconds and to a top speed of 222 km/h (137.94 mph).

Efficiency in stop-and-go traffic: the new start-stop system
The new Audi A5 Cabriolet is equipped with a new solution as standard equipment: a highly efficient start-stop system.

When the A5 Cabriolet comes to a stop at a traffic light or an intersection, the shift lever is in neutral and the driver’s foot has been taken off the clutch, the system’s control unit shuts down the engine. A message to this effect is displayed in the display of the central instrument cluster. On a hill or a downgrade, the brake system maintains the brake pressure automatically unless the slope is greater than 10 percent.

The engine restarts as soon as the driver pushes the clutch to the floor. A particularly powerful starter developed by Audi completes this process in roughly two-tenths of a second; faster, quieter and more comfortably than the competition. The crankshaft only has to turn at most one quarter of a turn before the first ignition occurs. While the driver puts the vehicle in gear, the engine speeds up; when the driver releases the clutch, it has reached idle speed.

Audi combines its start-stop system with particularly powerful batteries that continue to function even at very low outdoor temperatures. Only during the initial warmup period of the engine is the battery not yet active so that the engine oil and interior can be brought to temperature more quickly. The driver can deactivate the start-stop system at any time with the push of a button.

The start-stop system reduces consumption by roughly 0.2 liters/100 km, which corresponds to approximately five grams of CO2/km (8.05 g/mile).

Assistant for efficient driving: the new driver information system
The new start-stop system comes standard with another new technology from the modular efficiency system – the driver information system with efficiency program. It presents all of the data relevant to fuel efficiency on the central display. One of its primary functions is the newly designed gearshift indicator. It uses different sizes and colors to prominently indicate when it makes sense to change gears.

The new efficiency program continuously analyzes the flows of energy within the car and shows detailed information about the effect on consumption of larger electrical consumers such as the air conditioner or rear window defroster, which can be as high as one liter per 100 kilometers. The system gives the driver practical tips, if necessary, such as to close the windows while the air conditioner is on. The current and average consumption are displayed at the push of a button, showing their interdependence at a glance.

The new driver information system with efficiency program brings the intelligence behind the modular efficiency system from Audi to life. It is a solution that is fun for the driver and also serves as a reminder of the driver’s responsibility: Approximately 30 percent of a car’s fuel consumption is a function of driving style.

Energy recovery: the recuperation system
Like other Audi production models, the A5 Cabriolet is equipped with a recuperation system that utilizes kinetic energy during deceleration. The alternator increases its secondary voltage during the coasting and braking phases. It is then able to convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy that is stored in the battery. When the convertible accelerates again, the battery feeds the energy back in, thus reducing the load on the alternator.

Like all Audi convertibles, the open-top A5 also has a lightweight fabric top that endows it with a silhouette of dynamic elegance. The fully automatic top opens in just 15 seconds. Audi also offers an optional acoustic top with an intermediate layer of insulating foam that reduces wind noise almost to the sedan level.

When opened, the Audi A5 Cabriolet top folds down so effectively that very little trunk space is used up – leaving 320 liters (11.30 cubic ft) of unused storage volume, clearly the best value in its field of competitors. The soft top compartment lowers automatically when the top is opened. Equally useful is the fold-down rear seat backrest and the large pass-through between the luggage compartment and the interior, which increases the storage volume to a generous 750 liters (26.49 cubic ft).

The new Audi A5 Cabriolet features a rich array of equipment in addition to the fully automatic top, including an automatic climate-control system and a CD audio system. Highlights from the long list of options include the innovative driver assist systems and the latest generation MMI operating interface, which offers many attractive navigation and entertainment features.

Subscribe to the RSS feed for more information on green cars, green car news & green car technologies.

-----------------------

Follow PureGreenCars on Facebook and Twitter.

Email to a friend

To:

Bcc:

Your email address:

Message:
RSS subscribe
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter