by David Finlay (07 Sep 05)

In time for this year's Frankfurt Show, Audi has brought the Cabriolet up to date with the rest of the A4 range. The basic shape is more or less unchanged, but the deep front grille which has become so familiar on other Audis has been included, while the rear lights, rear bumper and alloy wheels (available in 16", 17" or 18" diameter depending on model) have all been revised.

The updated Cabriolet will at first be available with a choice of four engines, starting with the famous 1.8-litre turbo petrol unit in 161bhp form. Next up is the two-litre turbo FSI direct injection petrol engine in 198bhp form, and then come two V6s - the 3.2-litre 252bhp petrol unit and the three-litre TDI turbo diesel, recently uprated from 201bhp to 230bhp.

Each of these engines can be matched to front-wheel drive or quattro four-wheel drive transmission, and there's also a choice of five-speed and six-speed manual gearboxes, a six-speed Tiptronic automatic or the Multitronic CVT with seven manual holds.

You'll have gathered by now that there isn't going to be such a thing as a slow A4 Cabriolet. Larger-diameter brake discs have become standard to deal with the performance, and the suspension has been heavily reworked, partly by introducing components from the A6 and S4 quattro. Speed-sensitive power steering has also become a standard feature on all versions apart from the 1.8.

Further standard equipment across the range includes electronic climate control, a Concert audio system, two-stage airbags and the latest ESP system which includes Brake Assist, a wet-weather disc wiping function and Hydraulic Fading Compensation.

The Cabriolet's electro-hydraulic hood remains as before, but now Audi is offering an acoustic hood as an optional extra. New high-density fabrics keep out the decibels, and have led Audi to claim that cabin noise is reduced to a level that "virtually matches the refinement" of the A4 saloon.

UK deliveries of the A4 Cabriolet will start in the first quarter of 2006, but the car will be available to order as from November. Prices will be announced nearer the time.

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