Traditionally, Audi’s high-end automobiles garner praise for their grace and style, both exterior and interior. The slightly reworked 2013 A5, due to open in a dealership near you come June, reflects this tradition admirably, though with caveats. This cute and nimble 4-passenger semi-screamer comes is available in coupe or cabriolet form. Both the hard-top and the drop-top are offered in three trims, the base 2.0T Premier, the mid-level 2.0T Premier Plus or the 2.0T Prestige, and the Cabriolet is available with and without Audi's all-wheel-drive (AWD) Quattro powertrain. All trims again carry the overachieving turbocharged inline 4-cylinder (I4) powerplant. The base 2.0T Premier Cabriolet should again be delivered in the standard front-wheel drive (FWD) configuration, though it will, of course, be offered in the available Quattro form as well. A marginally re-aligned grille and fascia, new headlights and new taillights dominate the 2013 A5’s exterior, while the basic profile remains instantly recognizable. Most reviewers laud the improved fascia, though dedicated Audi enthusiasts seem a bit tepid in their response to these barely noticeable upgrades. On the inside, a new steering wheel design and reworked controls, including some necessary simplifying of the often unwieldy MMI navigation suite, should dovetail nicely with a bit of added chrome, leather and aluminum accenting consoles, shifters, doors and dashboards. Trunk capacity, finally, is once more some 13.5 cubic feet in coupe trims and 11.4 cubic feet in the cabriolets with the top down.

Competitors to Audi’s sprightly A5 include the BMW 3 Series, the Infiniti G37 and Volvo’s family-friendly C70. According to a number of reviewers, all three rivals offer more power and engine refinement than the A5 for about the same price. Sales, however, are brisk enough that Audi USA isn’t worried, though it does have up-powered versions of this nifty two-door running around Europe that are surely poised to find their way to the New World if sales here begin to slump.

In any case, the only engine offered in the 2013 A5 lineup for the U.S. remains the turbocharged 2.0-liter I4. Once again combined with either the standard 6-speed manual transmission or the available Tiptronic 8-speed shiftable automatic, this blown four throws out 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The FWD 2.0T Premier Cabriolet, perhaps in a nod toward the daily commuter, comes standard with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that boasts the same performance figures. Look for mileage estimates of 21 mpg city/31 highway with the stick-shift, 21/29 in trims with the shiftable automatic and 22/30 in the CVT-equipped Cabriolets.

Like last year’s editions, the Cabriolets sport a power up/down convertible soft-top roof, while all coupes again come with a standard power-tilting sunroof. At the Premier level, expect 18-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, upgraded leather and alloy cabin trim, and split-folding rear seats split by a hefty rear center armrest/console. Leather, naturally, continues to embrace the redesigned steering wheel. Also expected to be reprised for 2013 are remote power door locks, power windows and heated power-adjustable mirrors, along with cruise control, telescoping tilt-wheel steering and single-zone climate control. Standard entertainment features will likely remain the 180-watt system that hosts an MP3-capable single-CD player, 10 speakers, satellite radio and a memory card slot.

The Premium Plus, meanwhile, is expected to add heated front seats, three-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, driver's memory settings, a universal remote garage door opener, iPhone/iPod integration with the entertainment system and Bluetooth hands-free communications. Basking at the top of the trim spectrum, the Prestige is slated for Audi Side Assist blind spot warning, Audi Advanced Key remote entry and ignition, the popular (and for 2013, simplified) MMI navigation system with a 7-inch display, and a 505-watt Bang & Olufsen audio upgrade that boasts surround sound and 14 speakers, all standard.

Lesser trims in the A5 lineup are eligible for several items that come standard aboard higher-end versions, while all trims can be delivered with such available upgrades as Audi Connect limited WiFi capability (through the MMI system), Milano leather upholstery and genuine wood cabin trim inlays. The Premium Plus and Prestige, meantime, can be delivered with the Sport Package with a sport-tuned suspension and the S Line Package, featuring unique exterior and interior upgrades, 19-inch alloy wheels and performance tires. Finally, the top-shelf Prestige is eligible for the Audi Drive Select Package, with its driver-selectable Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual modes controlling adaptive suspension damping, engine response and shifting characteristics.

Standard safety equipment aboard the 2013 A5 trims should once again include 4-wheel antilock braking (ABS), traction and stability control, front side-mounted airbags, front and rear head airbags, and front head restraint whiplash protection. Also back for an encore are LED daytime running lights, front fog/driving lights, turn-signal-integrated mirrors, pre- and post-collision safety systems, brake drying and a remote antitheft alarm. Adaptive headlights are also standard in the Premium Plus and Prestige, while the Prestige boasts standard rear parking sensors that remain optional for Premium and Premium Plus versions.