TDI

MMI

Right now, cabriolets are in a trench. Basically, only the Germans can be bothered to make them, and because they're not selling well, development money is tight. In some cases, they're also being discontinued, as was the case with the Mercedes SLC (SLK rebadge) and soon the A3/S3 soft-top.The S5 started out with a mighty 4.2-liter V8 many years ago, then switched to a supercharged V6, followed by a single-turbo 3.0 TFSI and now... diesel. Right now, you can only order the S5 Coupe and Sportback with the 3.0, but we're sure it's only a matter of time here.The technology is new, featuring a 48V architecture that allows an electric supercharger to be installed, much like in the SQ7. The unit makes 347 HP and 700 Nm of torque , a bit less power than the old S5 TFSI, but 200 Nm more torque or 80 Nm compared to the A5 50 TDI, which is also a V6.At first glance, this test prototype looks identical to the current model, which went on sale in 2016. Strangely, the bits they're changing aren't the ones wearing full camouflage. For example, you can clearly make out the new mesh-like pattern for the grille and the different trim in the lower bumper. We saw the same change on the TTS facelift recently.But the fenders are all covered up, even though the car is unlikely to get new hips. And at the back the S5 Cabrio most likely sports fake exhaust. They look like real quad tips but are just pieces of trim held up by the bumper.The interior of the prototype is in clear view, thanks to the top being down. Thus, we can see that they have changed the infotainment. This is a tacked-on tablet version of the 10-inch screen you get in bigger Audis. It's a touchscreen, so thecontroller next to the shifter is gone. Also, you can have on-demand features.