Audi A8 4.2 FSI Quattro Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Audi A8 4.2 FSI quattro
Prices: £60,995-£66,915 on the road
Insurance Group: 19
Emissions: 283g/km
Performance: 0-62mph 6.1s / Max Speed 155mph
Fuel Consumption: (combined) 23.9mpg
Safety: Twin front, side & SIDEGUARD airbags/ABS
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height mm 5051/1928/1444

AGGRESSIVE CHARMER

Our Rating: 8.1 / 10

The Audi A8 4.2 FSI quattro may have just what it takes to wrestle sales away from the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the high-end luxury car market. Steve Ghosley looks at the A8’s prospects…

Overlooked and generally forgotten about, the Audi A8 has always been seen as the poor relation when compared to the likes of the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S Class. Things have changed however, since the launch of the second generation version, represented by the 4.2 FSI quattro variant we’re looking at here. With BMW creating a rod for their own back as a result of their controversial styling of the 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz having problems with the build quality of of their cars, the door is now open for the A8 to make significant in-roads on the sales of these two market leaders in the high-end luxury car market.

Is it good enough though? Certainly the styling is more conventional and understated than its competitors, even now that all A8s feature the single frame grille what was reserved for the W12 models, and this should appeal to those former BMW customers who just can’t bring themselves to order a new 7 Series. Similarly, top-of-the-range Audis like this A8 are screwed together and fitted out so well that the once dominant position of Mercedes-Benz in this area is now being challenged.

The A8 is made of aluminium and is now torsionally stiffer than the previous model, which contributes significantly to both safety and driving dynamics. The engine is a recently introduced 4.2-litre FSI V8 powering Audi’s trademark quattro four wheel drive transmission through a six-speed automatic gearbox, which is now a standard feature on both the short and long wheelbase models. Should you feel suitably sportif, you can knock the stick to one side in order to perform ‘manual’ shifts. This is the A8’s unique selling point - being a real ‘driver’s car’. The 4.2-litre version is a car that can waft along with untroubled ease, yet has enough power to rapidly get you out of the trickiest situation should the need arise and comes alive on a tight, twisty road.

The 4.2 FSI takes its place towards the top of a recently improved A8 range. The current model benefits from a smarter design for the trademark single frame grille, LED indicator strips in the side mirrors and LED tail lights. The shorter wheel based A8 4.2-litre is priced at £60,995 and if you want more leg room in the back it will cost you from £64,365. There’s a choice of SE or Sport trim levels. This luxury saloon stacks up well with rivals such as the BMW 7 Series, and it is the BMW sales figures that will feel the most effect of this car’s presence. Cars like the VW Phaeton, the Mercedes S Class and the Lexus LS460 are a little too comfort oriented to directly compare with the hard charging Audi although some will find its charms hard to resist. The 4.2-litre quattro variant we’re looking at here is certainly a car that rewards the driver. With just 12bhp less than a BMW 750i and around 370lbs (the weight of two 13 stone passengers) less weight to lug around, the 4.2-litre is a rapid performer. The all-wheel drive system means that it gets off the line without any fuss every time, sprinting to 62mph in just 6.1 seconds. The top speed is limited by the gentleman’s agreement among most German manufacturers to a sensible 155mph (250km/h).

Unlike some of its rivals, the styling of this model has followed an evolutionary theme, looking even more slippery than the rather bluff first generation A8, the sides now being contoured into an almost Jaguar-like fuselage. The front features chrome-ringed grilles above and below bumpers that look rakishly aggressive, whilst the back features a high mounted light cluster which doesn’t.

As you would expect for a car of this price the specification is pretty impressive. As well as the quattro permanent four-wheel-drive and the automatic six-speed Tiptronic transmission with paddle shift, this A8 comes with Adaptive air suspension, a MMI multi media interface control system, a front and rear acoustic parking system, double gla