Audi A5 Cabriolet axed from UK line-up following slow sales
Removal of A5 Cabriolet is part of Audi's consolidation of its model range
Convertible is unlikely to be replaced, Audi tells Autocar, as the firm consolidates its range
The Audi A5 Cabriolet has been culled from the German firm's line-up, and a replacement is unlikely as the brand consolidates its UK model range.
An Audi spokesman told Autocar that the removal of the A5 Cabriolet was part of a “consolidation” of its model range, given that the A5 Cabriolet is an older model at the end of its life cycle. However, it continues to be sold in other parts of Europe and the model recently received a Competition Pack.
When asked if a new model (possibly electric) would replace the outgoing Audi A5 Cabriolet, Audi said it would not comment on future product plans, but that it is not likely to be replaced by a new model.
The move also casts doubt over future Audi drop-tops. The Audi R8 and Audi TT – both of which have cabriolet variants – are coming to an end next year with two last-hurrah ultimate editions and no convertible variants of future models have been hinted at yet.
UK sales figures for the convertible A5 have been dropping since 2016. Just 224 were sold in the first half of 2022 (680 were sold in 2021) making it the slowest-selling variant of the A5. For comparison, the standard coupé sold nearly ten times as many units, with 6353 sold.
The A5 is one of the older models in Audi’s range, having been revealed in second-gen form in mid-2016. Its closest rival, the Mercedes C-Class coupé, is no longer on sale - with two-door derivatives of the Mercedes C-Class and E-Class being replaced by the upcoming Mercedes CLE.
The firm is primed to introduce eight new models in the next four years, including an electric Audi A6 E-tron, which adopts a rakish roofline to essentially serve as an electric equivalent to today's four-door A5.
No upcoming cars are yet confirmed to have a convertible variant, but Audi has hinted at plans for a drop-top GT with the radical Skysphere concept, inspired by convertible cars of the 1930s. An electric Audi TT is also on the way, bound for a 2024 launch, and may follow in its combustion predecessor’s footsteps with a drop-top model.