Audi A8 range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Audi A8
Prices: £55,135-£92,515 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 17-20 [est]
Emissions: 174-219g/km
Performance: [4.2 FSI V8] 0-60mph 5.7s / Max Speed 155mph
Fuel Consumption: [4.2 FSI V8] (combined) 29.7mpg
Safety: Twin front, side & curtain airbags, ABS, ESP
Dimensions: Length/Width/Heightmm 5137/1949/1460

A GREAT 8?

Our Rating: 8.9 / 10

Audi’s flagship car needs to be good. Steve Walker sees how the A8 measures up.

There are some tough jobs in the world of motoring. Chief trophy polisher at Ferrari F1, head of warranty claims at TVR, Evil Knievel’s osteopath: all are highly demanding roles but if they sound taxing, try the one Audi’s A8 has been landed with. The A8 is Audi’s flagship car, no longer the most expensive or biggest Audi, but still the standard bearer for one of the largest and most diverse model ranges going. It also has to compete in the luxury saloon segment against some of the finest motorcars in the world. In short, the A8 needed to be extremely good and Audi has pulled out all the stops to make it so.

Previous A8 models have carved out an enduring reputation for engineering innovation, quality and style. The people behind today’s car set out to build on that platform and have made improvements across the board without drifting too far from the core values behind the ultimate Audi. We’re faced with a quattro all-wheel-drive luxury saloon of advanced aluminium construction furnished with a formidable arsenal of technology. Will it be good enough?

Some of the powertrain options in the A8 are as tempting as you’d imagine but the majority of customers will end up with the 3.0-litre TDI diesel that props up the mighty V8s. It’s a 250bhp engine that will feel far from weak thanks to the 550Nm of torque that courses forth from minimal revs. More compelling is the 4.2-litre V8 TDI with its 350bhp and huge 800Nm torque output. With this unit, the A8 becomes a certified executive express covering the 0-62mph spring in 5.5s and hitting the 155mph speed limiter with plenty to spare. The petrol option is Audi’s 4.2 V8 and it’s got 372bhp along with 445Nm of torque. It’s a shade slower than the diesel but fast enough with a 5.7s time for the sprint.

All of the A8 models get Audi’s latest quattro all-wheel-drive technology to ensure the surest of footings on the road surface and optimum distribution of power. The 4.2 TDI models also get’s Audi’s Sports Differential to divide the thrust between the rear wheels and help it make the most of that monumental torque. The gearbox is an 8-speed tiptronic with Drive or Sport shift programmes that can be operated manually through the wheel-mounted paddles.

Audi needed the A8 to achieve the highest standards of ride comfort while also displaying strong dynamic abilities when required and the job of squaring that particular circle falls to the Drive Select adaptive chassis technology. With Comfort, Auto and Dynamic modes, the system adjusts damper settings and other parameters to deliver the optimum ride/handling compromise. It works in conjunction with the A8’s all-aluminium suspension and the adaptive air-suspension system to take the A8’s capabilities beyond what would be possible with a conventional chassis set-up.

Never one of the luxury saloon sector’s most ostentatious players, the A8 tends to maintain a cool studied elegance in its design. This car might not quite equal the beautifully long and sleek profile of its predecessor but there’s more of a sinewy tautness about its lines, resulting in an imposing road presence. The sheer size of the A8 helps instil the necessary gravitas with measurements of 5,137mm for the length and close to two meters for the width. Audi’s familiar single frame grille and stylish LED embellished headlamps characterise the front.

Audi vehicle interiors rightly remain the envy of the world and the A8 just finesses the details up another couple of notches. There’s a wide choice of different leathers, trim inlays in wood and metal, seats and technology features but the basic layout conforms to Audi’s usual policy of clean design and the highest quality.

The latest version of the excellent MMI control interface marshals the ancillary