Audi S3 Cabriolet first drive

The suspension also has its flaws. On smooth surfaces the Audi rides in a comfortable fashion but run into a pothole, a crack in the road or a broken surface, and you'll know about it.

On rougher country roads the inability of the S3's suspension to absorb smaller defects becomes increasingly apparent, with it sending persistent jitters through the cabin and controls.

Fortunately, on the flip side, the S3 does compensate somewhat with impressive cornering capabilities. There's a vast amount of grip on offer and even sharp corners, at speed, are dispatched with minimal fuss and body roll.

Like many high-performance Audis its natural bias is towards understeer but, thanks to the advanced stability control system and four-wheel drive, it's easy to further adjust your cornering attitude by modulating the power.

Switch the Drive Select into Dynamic mode and, besides sharpened responses from the engine, transmission and suspension, the steering weights up in an effort to impart more accuracy and engagement.

While the additional heft does make the driving experience a little more physical, it can be tiring and frequently feels excessive. Fortunately the Audi's Auto mode strikes a comparatively happy balance between the two, selectively refining the car's responses based on the road speed and control inputs.

Also available is an Economy mode – which has a hilariously soft throttle response but a manner that's ideal for around-town cruising – or an Individual setup where the car's responses can be tailored through a range of options.

There's no questioning the S3's straight-line performance but it doesn't deliver its power in the overly aggressive fashion that you might expect given the quoted figures. The turbocharged engine delivers its output in a very linear fashion; there's no sledgehammer blow or drama when you stand on the throttle from low speeds.

No doubt this is in part due to the S3 cabriolet clocking the scales at a not-insignificant 1620kg. What there is, however, is a remarkably deceptive ability to build speed, and continue to build speed, as the engine moves through rev range and the S tronic's ratios.

The 305bhp and 295lb ft is deployed with great ease and precision thanks to the combination of the dual-clutch transmission and four-wheel-drive system. Traction is excellent and rapid standing starts are easily achieved and repeated.

The Audi's engine might not be the most aurally evocative powerplant around, lacking the characteristic five-cylinder warble or V8 bellow of its bigger brothers, but there's enough going on to keep you interested – such as a pronounced turbocharger spooling noise, an audible dump valve and artificially induced pops and bangs during upshifts.

So it's with the deftness of the powertrain that the S3 recovers some of its driver appeal. There's a lot of enjoyment to be had winding the smooth engine out on a flowing country road, making use of the accurate steering and high degree of lateral grip to carry as much speed through corners as possible.

Braking power is more than adequate too, with a good pedal feel. This contributes to the Audi's safe, controlled and surefooted – although not hugely exciting – character.

Inside you'll find the now-familiar and comfortable cabin layout from the Audi A3. The fit and finish is of a high standard and there's plenty of room in the front. Rear occupants don't get a vast amount of space but those up to six feet tall should be able to endure relatively long trips without too much grief, roof up or down.

With the soft-top up, refinement is good but there is considerable tyre roar on some surfaces. Drop the roof and, while not intolerable, there is a notable amount of wind intrusion into the cabin – but not so much as to leave you feeling continually blustered, or forcing you to raise your voice to engage in conversation.

A 285-litre boot and rear seats that can be lowered add a further degree of practicality to the S3, although with the roof down the available boot space is substantially compromised. There's no provision for a spare wheel either, only an oft-useless repair kit.

Despite the performance on offer the S3 is claimed to average 39.8mpg and emits 165g/km of CO2. It's not unreasonable to expect an S3 to return around 30mpg in real-world driving conditions