Model:
Audi A4 Cabriolet 3.0Tdi.
Price:
£32 735 (about R383 000).
Engine:
2967cc, quad-valve, turbocharged V6 making 173kW at 4000rpm, 450Nm at 1400rpm
Transmission:
Six-speed gearbox, all-wheel drive.
Performance:
240km/h, 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds, about 8.6 litres/100km (Audi's figure).
There's something in the British psyche that says a convertible car is a covetous thing - despite a climate that hardly lends itself to wind-in-the-hair motoring for much of the year.
We also like our premium badges, so put one on a drop-top and you're on to a winner.
That's why companies such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Saab do so well with their convertibles here but now there's a third element - the diesel engine. We're buying ever more oil burners in the UK so stick an oil-burning engine into a premium convertible and chances are you'll be fending off customers at the showroom door.
Well, that's what Audi's hoping.
Six engines are available in the new drop-top A4 (due in SA sometime in 2006) and it's significant that the most popular is expected to be one of the two diesels. If the idea of an oil-burning convertible is anathema to you, try Audi's new 3.0TDi and you'll soon be converted.
It's so good that, having started off my introduction to the new range by driving this version, the rest of the offerings paled into insignificance.
Well, aside from the range-topping 260kW, V8-engined S4, which will account for only four percent of Cabriolet sales thanks to its price and thirst.
The revised Cabriolet brings with it the Audi family face and a better roof mechanism, which opens and closes faster (21 seconds either way) and can be operated on the move up to 30km/h. For £200 (about R2 340) more you can also have an acoustic roof that cuts noise (when raised) to sedan-like levels - well worth it.
However, the big news is the introduction of the two diesel engines, the fabulous three-litre V6 TDi and the two-litre TDi four-cylinder much vaunted elsewhere in the VW/Audi group.
There are also four petrol engines; the 1.8T is carried over from the previous range and joined by the turbocharged two-litre seen in the much-acclaimed Golf GTi.
If you're a press-on driver addicted to petrol power, you'll want the 3.2-litre V6 or the 4.2-litre V8 S4 - the latter also carried over. Which model you go for depends on your budget, choice of soundtrack, and how fast you want to go.
Being the cheapest derivative, Audi reckons the 1.8T will account for nearly a third of Cabriolet sales. While this and the 2.0T (£27 385 - about R320 000) are inoffensive enough, they're a bit breathless and expected to be outsold by the 2.0TDi, which is much more parsimonious and costs less.
Petrol power is daft
There were no 2.0TDi models to try but it's almost certainly going to be better to drive than the smaller petrol engines as well as making more sense financially; the only potential stumbling block is how much clattering there is from under the bonnet.
Discounting the S4, the priciest Cabriolet is the 3.0TDi; at £32 735 (about R383 000) it costs £200 more than its 3.2 V6 petrol sibling. Frankly, anybody who opts for petrol power from these two is daft, with the diesel offering similar performance but far better fuel economy.
It's not as though the oil-burner rattles either; as soon as you fire up the 3.0TDi it's smooth and refined, if not altogether silent with the roof down at low speeds.
Explore the rev range a little and there's a noise like a raspy four-cylinder petrol unit; it doesn't really ever sound like a diesel. Tapping into the huge wave of torque that's available is simplicity itself, with phenomenal performance on offer at any speed.
Self-shifter stands out
It's best to have 2000rpm on the clock to accelerate with any real alacrity but the car will easily pull from barely half that.
Having sampled manual and Tiptronic gearboxes, each with six ratios, it's the self-shifter that stands out.
What's impressive is the way the power can be exploited so easily, with all-wheel drive standard on all but the four-cylinder cars; these get front-wheel drive instead.
The ride/handling balance was one of the few criticisms of the old Cabriolet, so Audi has now fitted front suspension based on that of the A6 and rear suspension from the high-performance S4.
The result is a car that rides well, even on a broken surface, and handles predictably, if a bit anodyne. That's despite a new speed-sensitive power steering system being fitted, in a bid to improve steering feel - it still feels typical Audi.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter which version of the Cabriolet you go for, as it's a superb all-round package. Well screwed together, plenty of equipment and the driving experience is good, if not especially tactile.
Space is adequate for four and the roof mechanism works beautifully. The question is: just how will they improve on this one, unless they break all the Audi rules and offer a real driver's car?