Bejewelled Blitzkrieg

The three-pointed star engages the four-rings in a 2-litre battle of topless style, finesse and agility.

- Jeremy Chua

ARRIVING at an event in a luxurious convertible with the top down is one of the surest ways of making an entrance.

You get bonus points if both you and your date are well dressed and have slightly tousled hairdos.

After all, a convertible’s main purpose is to convey its occupants to their destinations in style. Nobody buys these cars for practical considerations.

If you want a cabriolet that’s both fashionable and refined, the Audi A5 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class (in E200 form) are two models to consider.

I’m immediately drawn to the A5 the moment I see it. The test unit’s Tango Red paintwork seems to make it glow, even in a dimly lit carpark. And with a height of 1483mm (45mm lower than the E-Class), it has an athletic stance that urges keen drivers to get in and drive it.

Adding to the A5’s sporty outlook are the chiselled lines on its bonnet and flanks, which make it look tauter and more muscular than the E-Class. I like how Audi kept the wave-shaped shoulder line from the previous A5 – it’s an element that makes it more recognisable.

While the Audi exudes dynamism, the Mercedes-Benz radiates opulence.

The E-Class’ “diamond studded” grille is not new (it was first seen on the A-Class in 2012), but it never fails to increase the car’s bling factor. More importantly, it does this without looking as tacky as those Hermes belts with big “H” buckles.

More significantly, because the E-Class is significantly longer than the A5 (by 153mm, to be exact), it looks grander, too. But size aside, I think it has to be the E-Class’ rounder figure that makes it prettier than the A5.