Summer is coming and at Audi they are looking forward to those lazy hazy days, often characterised here by rain, and lots of it. A new A4 Cabriolet should be with us in May or June and John Hayes, Audi's energetic Irish sales manager sees it appealing to "that influential segment of the market that is drawn to open-top motoring".
The Cabriolet has a front end that looks very similar to the saloon, while there are also strong hints of the TT about it. Like the TT, the Cabriolet does an image job for the whole Audi line-up, useful especially as Audi seems to be the fastest-growing marque in the premium sector these days.
For all its flamboyant boulevard-cruising appearance, this Cabriolet is a very practical machine, being a full-size four-seater. Front seats slide forward at a flick of a switch to allow back-seat passengers step in. Space, according to Audi, is one of the major improvements over its predecessor, a car incidentally, which was favoured by the late Princess Diana. She contradicted Buckingham Palace policy, which was not to buy German cars.
Audi insists that the Cabriolet is very safe, pointing to torsional rigidity that's 112 per cent stiffer than the old version. It has, however, meant that the car is 115 kg heavier than the four-door equivalent. The range here will consist of three versions initially, a 220 bhp 3.0 litre V6, a 170 bhp 2.4 litre V6, and a 180 bhp 2.5 TDi .
The last-mentioned is highly significant: diesel power is now very acceptable in the glamour world of coupés and cabriolets. John Hayes says that while exact prices have yet to be agreed, he expects the 2.4 litre V6 to sell below €52,000 ex-works, the 3.0 litre V6 below €59,500 and the 2.5 TDi at around €55,000.
A sudden shower of rain shouldn't be a problem for those enjoying open-top driving. All models get a one-touch electrically-operated hood which folds away in 28 seconds. To get full use of the boot, it's best to keep the hood up: the luggage space is 315 litres, which should accommodate the golf paraphernalia of two people.
The standard specification includes climate control air conditioning, variable height front seats, electric windows, remote central locking and 16-inch alloy wheels. John Hayes expects to sell around 100 A4 Cabriolets this year, but admits that demand will far exceed supply.