Friday 5th February 2010

Driven: The New Audi A8

PH gets behind the wheel of Audi's latest flagship

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It seems a strange thing to say, but nowadays the Audi A8 is in danger of becoming a rather conservative offering. When the A8 was first introduced into the luxury car segment more than 15 years ago, the idea of a four-wheel drive, all-aluminium Audi with A4 XL styling was a pretty controversial one for such a traditionally unadventurous market.

Now, though, the A8 is sharing segment-space with a five-door fastback Porsche (the Panamera), an Aston Martin saloon (the Rapide), the gorgeous Maserati Quattroporte and an all-new Jaguar XJ that is every bit as sleek, modern and controversial as the 1968 original was when it was first introduced. All of a sudden the A8 seems a bit, well, establishment.

Audi's weapon in the battle against these newcomers to the market is this - an all-new A8. Conceptually, very little has changed. It's still a big, three-box saloon with strong visual links to the rest of the Audi range. It's still four-wheel drive. It's still made from aluminium. It is also brimming with clever technology - Audi most definitely hasn't forgotten its vorsprung durch technik mantra with this car.

But there is one major point that marks this Audi out as different - and that's the cabin design. For many years Audi has been rightly recognised as a maker of slick and beautifully built, but rather cold, interiors. The A8 changes that. I think I can quite safely say that the latest A8 is possessed of the warmest, most inviting and luxurious cabin ever to grace the inside of an Audi. It is also more inviting than any of its rivals' cabins - with the arguable exception of the new Jaguar XJ.

What makes the new A8's interior so successful is that it combines all the gadgetry you expect - a night-vision system in the instrument cluster, an innovative touchpad that forms part of a revised MMI system, a simply stunning 1400-watt 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system - with simple lines. With the sat-nav screen hidden away there's a more or less unbroken wraparound line from door to door that helps occupants to feel snug and cocooned in a way that will be unfamiliar to most Audi drivers. The materials, too - especially the unexpectedly soft leather and beautifully finished wood veneers - add to the sense of cosy opulence.

The exterior of the car is perhaps less of an unequivocal success. These matters are naturally subjective, but the overall effect of the A8's tidy but uninspiring lines is, to these eyes at least, a little underwhelming - although it is one of those cars that looks better in the metal. There's no angle that looks bad (apart from the rear, which is a little too much like an overweight A4's rump) and the restrained, taut lines are suitably toned down for the post credit crunch 'Age of Austerity', but this is not a car that you would buy for its looks.

But is it a car that you would buy for the way it drives? It depends what you want from your luxury saloon, really. At launch, Audi is offering a 4.2-litre TDI V8, with 345bhp and an immense 590lb ft of torque at 1750-2750rpm (yours for £63,690), or a 4.2-litre petrol V8 with 367bhp and a more meagre 328lb ft of torque (available from £61,640). Later this year there will also be a new 3.0-litre TDI V6 with 247bhp and 406lb ft of torque.

The V6 manages 42.8mpg (22 per cent better than the previous car's V6 diesel) while feeling, in all honesty, perfectly quick enough, thanks to that chunky torque output. After all, 0-62mph in 6.6secs is hot-hatch territory. But the V8 diesel notches up 37.2mpg, and even the V8 petrol manages a combined figure of 29.7mpg, so we reckon there's really no need to put up with the occasionally strained power delivery of the V6.

The V8 diesel hits 62mph in 5.5secs, while the petrol V8 takes 5.7secs, but in reality both engines feel even more effortless than that. Which one you prefer comes down to personal taste. The surging torque of the diesel is pretty addictive, but the FSI petrol V8's sharper throttle response and zingier top end is pretty beguiling. Both engines (and, indeed, the V6 diesel) are hooked up to a brand new eight-speed auto that - get this - uses information from the sat-nav to help plan its changes. In other words, it knows if a corner is coming up, and so will hold on to a ratio for longer if appropriate.

When you approach that corner, whether you enjoy yourself or not depends on how you have specified your A8 and, to some extent, what setting you have chosen for the Audi drive select system (which adjusts the dampers, throttle response, steering input and transmission shift points).

If your A8 comes without the new active sport differential (only standard on V8 diesels) or dynamic steering, you will find that it has plenty of grip, but that there is little mid-corner adjustability and that plough-on understeer must be quelled surprisingly soon by the ESP.

The combination of the variable-ratio dynamic steering and active sport diff (which distributes torque to the outer rear wheel during cornering) helps to sharpen things up considerably, but we wouldn't recommend the dynamic setting on the drive select system. Unless, that is, you're a fan of the feeling that the steering rack is working via a bucket of treacle. Leave the car in 'normal' throttle response and damper control is still more than good enough, and the steering feels both lighter and more accurate.

What seems beyond reproach, however, is the A8's refinement. Even on 20-inch wheels the air-suspended ride feels astonishingly well cushioned and insulated, even over some of southern Spain's more pockmarked stretches of Tarmac. And the double glazed windows help to contribute to a cabin that is also astonishingly free of wind and road noise.

The A8 may now be a member of the luxury car establishment, but don't take that to mean that it's past it. The combination of a stunning interior, innovative technology, stunning ride, and efficient and powerful engines makes for quite a compelling product. The new XJ is going to have to be good to beat this.

[nav p]

Technically it must be brilliant no doubt...but just looks like a bigger version of one of the others,a little differiation would be nice.
I have said this before but i think Audi have become what BMW were in the mid to late 90's when all the range looked the same(although lots of people say it was a better design period).

If it were me choosing a new Luxury car in this segment, it would be a well specced S class.

Edited by nav p on Friday 5th February 13:29

[GTEYE]

A lesson in Audi maths.....

A4 = A4

A6 = A4 x 1.2

A8 = A4 x 1.5

[soad]

My my, that cabin looks ever so comfortable. Looks quite bland from the outside though...

[Taffer]

GTEYE said:

A lesson in Audi maths.....

A4 = A4

A6 = A4 x 1.2

A8 = A4 x 1.5

Not forgetting

Q7 = Q7

Q5 = Q7 x 0.75

The last A8 was fairly subtle, but didn't try to ape the rest of the Audi range (much). A plutocrat's car has got to be a bit 'fk the poor' and imposing, which the Maserati QP, new XJ and S-Class seem to do well. An enlarged A4 really doesn't do it, I'm afraid.

[B10]

Competant but dull. Looks like an A4.

[g3org3y]

As to be expected from Audi tbh.

Really not a fan of the DRLs, no genuine need for that 'shape' - a straight sweep across the bottom of the headlamp would suffice.

Interior looks nice - the return of the analogue clock I notice? (I prefer cream leather with wood myself, all this black/silver/carbon is a bit wannabe sporty).

[chelme]

'nevermind the looks, it's what's inside that counts'...uh no. I think it looks boring and i would imagine its boring to drive too.

I'd take a maser over this any day.

[Twilight1]

Haha. Today i just said "wow, thats a nice A6" to my colleague who was watching a 2003 A8.

When i saw the new pictures of this A8, my mind instantly noticed it as a A4 or A6. If me and many others are finding this too similiar, why Audi designers havent?

[boomboompow]

Do not want (based on the styling) which is a shame as I've always liked big Audi barges; I'd be off to the Maserati showroom to eye up a Quattroporte

Edit for typical Friday spelling mistakes...

Edited by boomboompow on Friday 5th February 14:12

[SimonSaid]

Taffer said:

GTEYE said:

A lesson in Audi maths.....

A4 = A4

A6 = A4 x 1.2

A8 = A4 x 1.5

Not forgetting

Q7 = Q7

Q5 = Q7 x 0.75

The last A8 was fairly subtle, but didn't try to ape the rest of the Audi range (much). A plutocrat's car has got to be a bit 'fk the poor' and imposing, which the Maserati QP, new XJ and S-Class seem to do well. An enlarged A4 really doesn't do it, I'm afraid.

A3 = A4 ÷ 1.5

Edited by SimonSaid on Friday 5th February 14:05

[pilchardthecat]

PH said:

"Both engines (and, indeed, the V6 diesel) are hooked up to a brand new eight-speed auto that - get this - uses information from the sat-nav to help plan its changes. In other words, it knows if a corner is coming up, and so will hold on to a ratio for longer if appropriate."

Am i the only one who thinks this is a bad idea and/or won't work properly? I can just picture all these Audis driving around in 3rd gear.

[Galaxy Bob]

If I was going on looks alone, I'd take the Jag over the A8 any day, but then I'd take the Maser over the Jag. However, you just know the Audi will fell like it's been sculpted out of a lump of granite.

[Oddball RS]

"Now, though, the A8 is sharing segment-space with a five-door fastback Porsche (the Panamera), an Aston Martin saloon (the Rapide), the gorgeous Maserati Quattroporte"



No its not????????????

[Woodstar]

This is all very well, but i'm only interested in the next S8, which by default should have a twin-turbo Lambo V12 next surely....

[dapprman]

I'm struggling on the interior. I'm not sure what I was expecting after reading it was a better environment than the Quatroporte, but once I got down to the picture I wondered if the wrong one had been posted. Put an aftermarket steering wheel on the car and you'd still recognise the interior as a VAG one. Frankly to me, and yes I know taste is subjective, it was just as bland as every other Audi.

[300bhp/ton]

Why is it that these big German exec cars are always so ugly on the outside, so bland on the inside and overall ooze dullness?


I'm sure its a fantastic car technically, but it just seems to be an expensive fridge freezer to me.

[robinhood21]

A rather nice cockpit with a bland'ish exterior. A very nice waftomatic in a few years me thinks. But, why the need for an eight speed auto with 590lb ft of torque to play with?

[James__H]

Article said: said:

plough on oversteer

Erm unless I am mistaken, should this be plough on understeer?

I am liking the satnav/gearbox trick - might it be possible to integrate this into some track cars? Maybe more effort than its worth though...

[gherkins]

Boring boring boring. I used to like the original S8 - it's engine sounded great. But who can get emotional about this? Over here in Munich, it's just all grey or black clonemobile BMW/Merc/Audi/VW saloons and estates. And here is just another one.

[Insight]

That was a very well written article whoever wrote it. Picked up on all the aspects of the A8 that I (and I expect many of the readers) are interested in.