Press Release
The engines
Audi has also consistently used innovative technologies for the engines. All five gasoline and diesel engines initially available for the A5 Cabriolet use common rail direct injection. They are impressive evidence that efficiency and dynamics are complementary and interdependent. Audi has demonstrated the potency of this philosophy in motor sports for a number of years now. At the Le Mans 24 Hours, the toughest test of them all, Audi R8 and R10 TDI race cars have claimed eight overall victories in the past nine years.
The most powerful gasoline engine in the Audi A5 Cabriolet is the 3.2 FSI. Installed in the head is the innovative Audi valvelift system (AVS) – a technology that varies the lift of the intake valves in two stages as a function of load and engine speed. The AVS improves the gas exchange and adjusts the volume of intake air over a wide range. The throttle can also remain wide open even at part load, reducing throttle losses. Torque and power increase, which permits a somewhat longer gearing; fuel consumption is improved by up to ten percent.
Displacing 3,197 cc, the V6 delivers 195 kW (265 hp) and 330 Nm (243.4 lb-ft) at between 3,000 and 5,000 rpm. With front-wheel drive and multitronic, it accelerates the A5 Cabriolet to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 6.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of 246 km/h (152.86 mph). Its fuel consumption averages just 8.6 liters per 100 km (27.35 US mpg). quattro all-wheel drive combined with the new seven-speed S tronic is available as an option.
The 2.0 TFSI displacing 1,984 cc is also a high-tech engine. The four-cylinder combines FSI direct fuel injection with turbocharging and crowns this combination with the Audi valvelift system. Here AVS manages the variable opening of the exhaust valves, reducing flushing losses in the combustion chamber and ensuring an optimal flow of exhaust gas to the turbocharger. The effects are the same as in the V6 – increased performance and lower consumption. Another key feature of the four-cylinder are the two balance shafts, which are a major factor for its smoothness.
Two versions of the 2.0 TFSI are available. In the entry-level version, which comes with front-wheel drive and multitronic, the turbocharged four-cylinder unit delivers 132 kW (180 hp) and 320 Nm (236.02 lb-ft), with the powerful torque available between 1,500 and 3,900 rpm. This version completes the standard sprint in 8.9 seconds and has a top speed of 219 km/h (136.08 mph). Average fuel efficiency is an excellent 7.4 l/100 km (31.79 US mpg).
The more powerful version of the 2.0 TFSI delivers an impressive 155 kW (211 hp) and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) over an even broader range between 1,500 and 4,200 rpm. It is available with three powertrain versions: with quattro all-wheel drive combined with the seven-speed, dual-clutch S tronic transmission, and with front-wheel drive and either a multitronic or a six-speed manual transmission. In the latter version, the A5 Cabriolet achieves performance that just a few years ago would have been worthy of a six-cylinder version: It sprints to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 241 km/h (149.75 mph), making its average fuel consumption of just 6.8 l/100 km (34.59 US mpg) all the more astonishing.
TDI from Audi – the world’s most successful efficiency technology
The TDI engines, which offer a unique combination of power and fuel economy, have been the world’s leading efficiency technologies since their debut in 1989. The two V6 diesels in the A5 Cabriolet also set the standards in their class. With their composed character, massive torque and consistent running smoothness, they represent a modern, smart type of sportiness.
The two four-valve engines, part of the modern family of V-engines from Audi, feature lightweight, yet high-strength crank cases. A number of sophisticated measures significantly reduce internal friction. Fast and accurate down to the smallest injection volumes, the piezo injectors in the common rail injection systems ensure a “soft” combustion process that benefits not only the engine acoustics but also the raw emissions. Thanks to sophisticated exhaust gas recirculation, both V6 TDI engines satisfy the limits of the Euro 5 standard.
Displacing 2,967 cc, the three-liter engine generates 176 kW (240 hp) and applies 500 Nm (368.78 lb-ft) of torque to the crankshaft. The sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) takes 6.4 seconds. Top speed is 247 km/h (153.48 mph). This top-of-the-line diesel, which powers all four wheels via the seven-speed S tronic transmission, consumes only 6.8 liters/100 km (34.59 US mpg).
The second TDI in the program is even thriftier: The 2.7-liter unit with 140 kW (190 hp) and 400 Nm (295.02 lb-ft) between 1,400 and 3,250 rpm boasts an average fuel consumption of only 6.2 liters/100 km (37.94 US mpg). The smaller of the two diesels, which displaces 2,698 cc, is paired with front-wheel drive and a manual transmission. The key data: 0 – 100 km/h (62.14 mph) and a top speed of 230 km/h (142.92 mph).
The entry-level diesel engine is the 125 kW (170 hp) 2.0 TDI. Its average fuel consumption is a mere 5.6 liters/100 km (42 US mpg) (preliminary figure). The four-cylinder unit displacing 1,968 cc combines driving enjoyment and refinement with high efficiency.
Dual cam shafts actuate 16 valves in the cylinder head. The common rail injectors are managed by the most advanced controllers on the market. Modern piezo injectors with eight-hole nozzles are also used in the 2.0 TDI. The fine modulation of up to five injections per cycle significantly reduces noise. The single-piston high-pressure pump develops a system pressure of 1,800 bar.
The fan belt drive was also acoustically redesigned; the shroud now includes more noise-damping structures. Two balance shafts reduce the vibrations generated in the crankshaft drive.
The four-cylinder includes a number of special features for improved performance. The turbocharger uses adjustable vanes for rapid generation of torque, and a pulsation damper reduces its vibrations. Electric motors control the position of the swirlers in the intake tube to adapt the inflow of air to the prevailing load and speed.
The optimized air management and modified piston geometry result in a high maximum engine speed of 5,000 rpm and improved thermodynamics in the combustion chambers. The two-liter TDI can be operated with an exhaust gas recirculation rate of up to 60 percent, resulting in cooler and leaner combustion and lower nitrogen oxide levels in the raw emissions. The EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) unit provides high cooling performance.
The refined 2.0 TDI generates 125 kW (170 hp) and delivers 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) of torque to the crankshaft between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm. That suffices to launch the Audi A5 Cabriolet to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 9.3 seconds and to a top speed of 222 km/h (137.94 mph).
Efficiency in stop-and-go traffic: the new start-stop system
Sporty power and high fuel efficiency are not contradictory at Audi – quite the contrary: The one necessitates the other. The brand with the four rings has also used its new technologies from its modular efficiency system in the A5 Cabriolet. Cars equipped with the six-speed manual transmission in combination with either of the two 2.0 TFSI engines or the 2.0 TDI engine come with a new solution as standard equipment: a highly efficient start-stop system.
When the A5 Cabriolet comes to a stop at a traffic light or an intersection, the shift lever is in neutral and the driver’s foot has been taken off the clutch, the system’s control unit shuts down the engine. A message to this effect is displayed in the display of the central instrument cluster. On a hill or a downgrade, the brake system maintains the brake pressure automatically unless the slope is greater than 10 percent.
The engine restarts as soon as the driver pushes the clutch to the floor. A particularly powerful starter developed by Audi completes this process in roughly two-tenths of a second; faster, quieter and more comfortably than the competition. The crankshaft only has to turn at most one quarter of a turn before the first ignition occurs. While the driver puts the vehicle in gear, the engine speeds up; when the driver releases the clutch, it has reached idle speed.
Audi combines its start-stop system with particularly powerful batteries that continue to function even at very low outdoor temperatures. Only during the initial warmup period of the engine is the battery not yet active so that the engine oil and interior can be brought to temperature more quickly. The driver can deactivate the start-stop system at any time with the push of a button.
The start-stop system reduces consumption by roughly 0.2 liters/100 km, which corresponds to approximately five grams of CO2/km (8.05 g/mile).
Assistant for efficient driving: the new driver information system
The new start-stop system comes standard with another new technology from the modular efficiency system – the driver information system with efficiency program. It presents all of the data relevant to fuel efficiency on the central display. One of its primary functions is the newly designed gearshift indicator. It uses different sizes and colors to prominently indicate when it makes sense to change gears.
The new efficiency program continuously analyzes the flows of energy within the car and shows detailed information about the effect on consumption of larger electrical consumers such as the air conditioner or rear window defroster, which can be as high as one liter per 100 kilometers. The system gives the driver practical tips, if necessary, such as to close the windows while the air conditioner is on. The current and average consumption are displayed at the push of a button, showing their interdependence at a glance.
The new driver information system with efficiency program brings the intelligence behind the modular efficiency system from Audi to life. It is a solution that is fun for the driver and also serves as a reminder of the driver’s responsibility: Approximately 30 percent of a car’s fuel consumption is a function of driving style.
Energy recovery: the recuperation system
Like many Audi production models, the A5 Cabriolet is equipped with a recuperation system that utilizes kinetic energy during deceleration. The alternator increases its secondary voltage during the coasting and braking phases. It is then able to convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy that is stored in the battery. When the convertible accelerates again, the battery feeds the energy back in, thus reducing the load on the alternator.
The drivetrain
Audi equips the A5 Cabriolet with three different drivetrains. The 2.0 TFSI with 155 kW (211 hp) and the 2.7 TDI come standard with a six-speed manual transmission featuring short throws for precise gear changes. Internal friction is minimal. The two two-liter engines and the 3.2 FSI can be equipped with the multitronic continuously variable automatic transmission. It combines smooth operation, high efficiency and fuel-saving gear ratios. When speed is of the essence, multitronic offers a sport mode and a manual mode with eight simulated gear ratios.
Audi offers the seven-speed S tronic as an option for the stronger of the two 2.0 TFSI engines and the 3.2 FSI. It is standard with the 3.0 TDI. Like a mechanical gearbox, the S tronic uses pairs of gear wheels to create seven gear ratios.
The innovative, high-tech dual-clutch transmission changes gears in only a few hundredths of a second and so serenely that the driver barely notices. Its high efficiency and long ratio in seventh gear have a positive effect on consumption. Drivers can set the seven-speed S tronic to change gears automatically or they can decide for themselves when to shift gears, including by using shift paddles on the steering wheel.
The new seven-speed S tronic is made up of two separate transmissions and integrates two multidisk clutches that control the various gears. The clutch located on the outside directs the torque via a solid shaft to the gear wheels for the odd-numbered gears 1, 3, 5 and 7.
A hollow shaft rotates around the solid shaft. It is connected to the clutch inside the clutch assembly and controls the gear wheels for the even-numbered gears 2, 4 and 6, as well as reverse.
Both transmission structures are continuously active, but only one is connected to the engine at any one time. For example, when the driver accelerates in third gear, the fourth gear is already engaged in the second transmission structure. The change of gear occurs by changing the clutches. The mechatronic module, a compact unit comprising controllers and hydraulic actuators, controls all shift and clutch operations with extraordinary exactness, even when carrying out precise maneuvers.
The power flows from the output shaft to the center differential of the quattro permanent all-wheel drive, which distributes it in two directions. Normally 60 percent flows to the rear differential and 40 percent to the front differential. When a wheel begins to slip, the mechanical center differential instantly and automatically transfers most of the power to the axle with the better traction. Up to 85 percent can be sent to the rear or a maximum of 65 percent to the front. The seven-speed S tronic and quattro all-wheel drive come standard on the top diesel model and are available as options for the two most powerful gasoline models.
Innovation from Audi: quattro with sport differential
The new sport differential on the rear axle provides even greater dynamism. The latest Audi powertrain innovation takes driving enjoyment to a whole new level in the A5 Cabriolet with quattro all-wheel drive thanks to the continuously variable distribution of power between the rear wheels.
With quattro with sport differential, the open-top four-seater remains completely neutral in all types of corner as if it were on rails. When steering into or accelerating in a corner, the majority of the torque is sent to the outside rear wheel, which literally pushes the car into the curve. The system thus anticipates and prevents any tendency toward oversteer or understeer, ensuring an even more dynamic driving experience.
Thanks to its extremely short reaction time – less than 100 milliseconds – the sport differential takes effect even more rapidly than the ESP stabilization system. It is just as effective while coasting as it is under load.
quattro with sport differential is a new type of rear-axle differential. A superposition gear was added to both the left and right sides of the classic differential; it rotates ten percent faster than the wheel’s drive shaft. Each stage comprises two sun gears and a ring gear offset from one another. This results in a large tooth overlap for high loadability with a minimal number of components.
A multi-plate clutch provides the connection between the drive shaft and the faster-turning superposition gear. It is activated by an electrohydraulic actuator and runs in an oil bath. When the clutch is closed, the higher speed of the superposition gear is applied to the drive wheel. This generates additional torque at the outside driven wheel and torque at the opposite wheel is reduced via the differential. In this way nearly all of the torque can be directed to one wheel. The maximum different in torque between the wheels is 1,800 Nm (1,327.61 lb-ft).
The secret to the effectiveness and fast reaction speed of the sport differential lies in its management software – developed in-house by Audi. The controller continuously and quickly recalculates the ideal distribution of torques for each driving system as a function of the steering angle, yaw angle, lateral acceleration, speed and other information.
The functions of the sport differential can also be adapted to the individual requirements of the driver. The “comfort” mode is aimed primarily at safety and stability, and load changes are optimally damped. “Auto” mode is programmed for an even balance of all functions. The “dynamic” mode emphasizes all agility functions. It is here that the improved dynamics due to the sport differential are most noticeable. Load change behavior in this mode is both agile and controllable.
