Audi S3 cabriolet to be unveiled at Geneva Motor Show 2014
At next month's Geneva Motor Show, Audi will unveil its first S3 cabriolet. This is a 2-door, 4-seater convertible for which bookings will open by April and deliveries are expected to start from July this year in UK.
The S3's design looks smooth and elegant with a little bit of aggression being conveyed by the edgy design and S3 badge on the front grille and the rear as well. A chrome frame surrounds the grille and air intakes get edgy styling with honeycomb inserts and double ribs. The sides have a prominent sill line, muscular wheel arches and aluminum looking side mirrors covers. Wheels are 18-inches as standard and 19-inchers are optional. The rear has LED tail lights, completely reworked bumper and a four vertical line platinum-grey diffuser housing the familiar S-model's four tail pipes. The boot lid gets a small spoiler to aid aerodynamics.
Audi S3 cabriolet
The car is 4.43 metres long, 1.79 metres wide and 1.39 metres tall. A 2600mm wheelbase allows for more interior room and a comfortable top-down driving experience.
The fabric roof deploys and retracts in 18 seconds and can function at speeds up to 50kmph. The top is available in a choice of three colours. A safety feature is the Active Rollover system which protects the occupants in case of an accident. The luggage space is 245 litres with the roof down and expands to 285 litres with the rear seats folded.
The interior gets an all-black theme with aluminum inlays over the dash and pedals made from brushed stainless steel. The sport seats provide good support and comfort. The backrests have S3 logo embossed on them with the tachometer and steering wheel too getting the same treatment, giving the interior a distinct character. Seats are covered in Nappa leather with contrasting stitches. Alcantara and leather combinations are optional. Heated front seats and Xenon plus headlights are standard. The long list of options include head-level heating in the front seats, LED headlights, a 13 speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, MMI navigation plus with MMI touch and a high-resolution seven-inch monitor.
Audi S3 cabriolet interiors
Power comes from a turbo-charged 2.0 litre TFSI engine having Stop & Start technology producing 300PS and 380Nm of torque. The engine has been matched to a six-speed S tronic transmission, which has been designed to give better fuel consumption by giving a long gear ratio for the top gears. A paddle shift dual clutch transmission in the automatic D and S modes allows for lightning fast gear changes. The 0-100kmph figure is achieved in a claimed 5.4 seconds. Audi claims the S3 cabriolet will give a fuel efficiency of 16.9kmpl and emit 165gm of carbon-dioxide per kilometre. A clever trick has been carried out by integrating the exhaust manifold in the cylinder head where the coolant is circulating; this reduces the temperature of exhaust gases and reduces fuel consumption at full load. It also allows for faster engine warming during startup in cold conditions.
The S3 will be available in ten exterior colours including the exclusive Panther Black shade which comes with crystal effect.
