Dubai isn’t really the best place to drive around in a sporty convertible. The traffic fumes, fierce sun and a collection of exotic and not always pleasant smells means that even in the winter, it’s advisable to keep the windows up and the AC on. That’s why I took the Audi A5 Cabriolet on a road trip to the East Coast of the UAE for this month’s review.
This particular model – the 3.0 TFSI Quattro S tronic – is fitted with Audi’s S Line exterior package, sports suspension and front sport seats, which makes a very clear statement: this car might look like a weekend cruiser, but it is also built for performance. On the arrow-straight roads that lead away from Dubai, the A5 settles into an effortless cruise, seemingly holding back power for quick bursts of acceleration when it’s needed.
The aerodynamic shape of the windshield and windows makes cruising in the A5 Cabrio a lot less noisy than other convertibles, but at midday, the air conditioning struggles to match the heat of the Arabian sun. Fortunately, putting the roof up is as easy as pulling over and pressing a button - it’s all over in 30 seconds.
It’s when the road starts climbing into the Hajar Mountains that the car really comes into its own. For the next 30km, the road is lined with an endless sequence of switchbacks and hairpin turns. Gearshifts are seamless in ‘Comfort’ mode – part of the Audi drive select package – and the 272bhp supercharged engine makes light work of inclines.
Nappa leather sports seats keep me fixed in place as the Audi cruises around 180-degree turns, and the 19-inch alloy wheels grip the road as we wind down to the Indian Ocean, hugging the jagged mountains. On the roads to the south of town, the sports suspension makes the ride a little bumpy, even in comfort mode, but the GPS has relocated us after dropping off the map for the last half an hour, and I’ve made my peace with the onboard computer by the time we roll into Fujairah.
The A5 is perhaps the perfect all-rounder. With the roof up and ‘Sport’ mode selected, you have a high performance vehicle that you could easily take on the track, but press a button or two and it’s transformed into a civilised, elegant car that’s perfect for a weekend cruise.
NUTS & BOLTS
Engine: 3.0-litre TFSI quattro
BHP: 272
Torque: 400Nm
0-100kph: 6.3 secs
Fuel consumption: 8.5 l/100km
Emissions: 199 g/km
Top speed: 250 kph
Origin: Germany
Cost: from AED 238,000 (US$64,800). This model AED 259,300 ($70,600).
