TDI Drops Top

They may have been around for a while, but no one did it in India. The very first diesel-powered convertible arrives in the form of the A5 Cabriolet. It may only have two litres, but it has 400 Nm and quattro! What’s that like? Read on

- Jim Gorde

Purpose. It’s an easy enough word to understand thanks to nature’s creations. yet, when it comes to man-made creation, somehow it gets blurred in what seems like a hysteric mass of unwanted additions that are justified simply by excuses related to sporty character and ‘performance to match its looks’. Ever wondered about the result? You guessed it. The price jumps. Now, India has had a tiny 1.1-litre convertible in the past; one with a six-figure price-tag. Today, it isn’t around. In fact, one of the most affordable cabriolet models is an audi a3. But what if you wanted style and panache in a car that had sweeping lines and streaks of chrome? What if you wanted all of that without a thirsty petrol engine? Audi have the answer yet again.

You can have a svelte drop-top sporty looking car with two doors and 18inch wheels and it doesn’t have to have a supercharged V6 gulping petrol and putting out a screaming 300+ PS. You can have the elegance and open-top motoring pleasure even with a four-cylinder diesel. Open your mind, and your roof, to the fact that a convertible’s purpose is to allow 2+2 people to enjoy the surroundings in their entirety. the features are the same. The comfort, ergonomics, safety, even badging, are the  same. What’s different is the powertrain. And it’s not necessarily a compromise.