Audi A3

This summer may have been a wash-out, but here is a reason to look forward to the next one.

These exclusive spy shots show the Audi A3 Cabriolet on the road for the first time – and it will be here in less than 12 months. As we revealed in Issue 959, the manufacturer has long harboured plans for a compact drop-top version of its popular executive hatchback – and as our scoop pictures confirm, it appears that the newcomer is nearly ready to roll.

Spied undergoing testing in Ger­many, the model also shows a facelift for the entire A3 range, with a fresh bonnet, narrower headlights and a more imposing grille, complete with a jutting lower spoiler. At the rear, there are new A5-style tail-lamps, too.

Going up against the forthcoming BMW 1-Series Convertible and new MINI Convertible, the soft-top will offer a more affordable alternative to Audi’s A4 Cabriolet. And as with that car, it shuns the current trend for folding metal roofs, with a high-quality canvas hood. As Claus Haverkamp, Audi’s head of body structure development, told Auto Express in May: “Too many compromises are needed with folding metal roofs. They impact on styling and packaging, and we can get excellent refinement anyway with multi-layered fabric hoods.”

Our pictures show the three-door’s profile is retained, with its rakish rear window. But the electrically operated soft-top folds flat behind the rear seats to reveal twin roll-over hoops.

Under the bonnet, the Cabriolet will feature the firm’s new 1.4-litre TFSI engine, while a flagship car gets the 2.0 turbo from VW’s Golf GTI. Diesel options will include a new 140bhp 2.0-litre TDI. The A3 drop-top will debut at March’s Geneva Motor Show, and is tipped to cost £18,500.