NAVIGATE, LUXURIATE
Astounding tech helps power and steer the A8 but the rear pews are the place to be
There’s very little that’s mild about Audi’s fourth-generation A8 limousine, beyond the ride. The already impressive length is up by 37mm, the grille now extends the full depth of the nose and there’s a Blade Runnerrivalling array of digital technology.
Leading the charge is a 48-volt mild hybrid drivetrain that helps boost the V6 diesel and petrol turbos’ reaction time off the line, while enabling a coasting function once under way to help save fuel.
Recovered energy is fed to a 10Ah lithiumion battery under the boot that powers a “beltdriven starter generator” connected to the crankshaft to start and restart the engine as required.
The 48V set-up, first seen in the SQ7 wagon, has been extended here to help power the car’s 22 sensors, including a laser scanner to add range and clarity to forward imaging.
In the cabin, the digital driver’s display is supplemented by a pair of touchscreens, augmented by haptic and audio feedback.
The tile-based 10-inch infotainment display is easy to navigate, as is the smaller screen under it that handles aircon adjustments and direct writing inputs.
It is still possible to miss one of the virtual buttons if you roll over a bump while selecting a feature but in most situations it works well, if not as immediately intuitive as the physical dial still found in most Audis.
The stacked display extends down to the transmission tunnel, limiting the A8’s storage space upfront. The centre console has space for a pair of drinks; the bin between the seats contains room to charge a couple of phones and that’s about it. There’s no room in the glovebox for anything other than the manuals, leaving the door pockets as the only option.
Being in an A8 is much more about being in the back and those in the rear pair of pews won’t be disappointed. Opt for the 130mm longer A8L and that space is fed directly into the rear seat area, with its optional relaxation seats, footrest massager/heater and fold-out tables.
Prices are nominally well down over the outgoing model, starting at $192,000 for the short wheelbase diesel. That’s $8800 cheaper than its predecessor but you need to add $11,000 for a premium pack to add the likes of 20-inch wheels, privacy rear glass and powered blinds, digital TV, full leather interior, airfragrance dispenser and digital TV tuner.
Audi also has a turbo petrol V6 (250kW/500Nm) for $195,000. Long wheelbase versions add $15,000.
The 4.2-litre turbo diesel V8 has been deleted but a 4.0-litre version on sale overseas could end up here at some stage. Performance fans’ interest in the petrol S8 should be satisfied sooner, despite the fact it hasn’t been officially announced yet.
Prospective A8 owners should also factor in $4500 for the all-wheel steering. As well as trimming a metre off the turning circle, it makes parking easier and endows the big car with far more reactive steering than you first appreciate on winding roads.
I’d be less inclined to part with $13,200 for the full-house matrix LED/laser headlamps and OLED rear lamp pack unless I did a lot of dawn and dusk driving in ’roo country.
ON THE ROAD
On under-repair sections outside Sydney, a slight tremor as the adaptive air suspension keeps the optional 20-inch tyres on the tarmac belies just how chopped up the road is.
The A8 cushions its occupants, front or rear, from all but the very least and the very worst of the ruts and ridges.
The former — road gaps, crack sealant and the likes — can be lightly felt as the low-profile rubber runs across them with a patter that doesn’t require the suspension to intervene. The latter intrude because even air suspension has its limits.
In most conditions, repose in the A8 is a delight. The seats, like the suspension, are indulgently cushiony yet grip securely, so passengers don’t need to hang on in enthusiastic cornering.
And this car can fill the enthusiastic brief, should the situation demand.
Audi has bolstered its alloy spaceframe with a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic rear section to keep unladen mass down to less than two tonnes, yet with either fuel the A8 will take less than six seconds to reach 100km/h.
The V6s are smooth, making the autocoasting mode all but undetectable as the engine shuts down and reactivates while cruising at freeway speeds. In stop-start traffic it is super-responsive and Audi says what is effectively a bolt-on hybrid kit can save up to 0.7L/100km.
For now, there’s no level three autonomous driving tech — and the lane-keep assist certainly isn’t infallible on tighter turns. Audi is working out the legislative and homologation details to ensure when the stars align the A8 can be at the fore of the autonomous fleet.
The “AI suspension” that links into the car’s sensors to assess oncoming road conditions and react accordingly should be here by next year.