Audi’s assault on the premium car segment took another step forward with the international launch of its new A8. Hosted in Marbella on Spain’s south coast, we had the opportunity of putting Audi’s new flagship through its paces in the mountain passes surrounding the small town. Audi’s goal is to become the best-selling premium brand in the world and, with its current model line-up, is steadily reaching that goal. However, if it wants to capture market share from the likes of BMW’s 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz’s S-Class, it’s going to have to be less conservative with the A8’s styling - it just looks a little plain for a car in this segment.
And the fact that the rear looks like a big A4 certainly does it no favours. Aside from the horizontal chrome struts on the grille, you would be forgiven for not knowing which Audi you were looking at when taking a quick glance.
The interior, however, is another story. Clean lines and easy-to-use ergonomics compliment Audi’s trademark fit and finish. The usual comfort and convenience features such as MMI, dual-zone climate control and SatNav are augmented by the introduction of MMI Touch. A small touch pad located just in front of the gear-shift means the driver can search for destinations or names in the phone book by tracing letters on the pad itself with your finger.
The A8 is available with two engine derivatives. The first of these, due for local launch in the third quarter of 2010, is the 4.2 FSI petrol. Developing 273kW and 445Nm of torque, the 4.2 FSI is capable of reaching 100km/h in just 5.7 seconds, before running onto a limited top speed of 250km/h. On a combined cycle, it’s claimed to return a consumption figure of 9.5 litres/100km with emissions of 219g/km.
However, if you don’t mind waiting until the first quarter of 2011, our preferred derivative would have to be the 4.2 TDI. Pushing 258kW and a monstrous 800Nm of torque through Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system, the diesel hits the 100km/h mark in 5.5 seconds. While boasting the same limited top speed of 250km/h, it’s the claimed fuel consumption of 7.6 litres/100km and emissions of 199g/km that really impress.
Two more engines are due to make their way here, namely a 3.0 T FSI and 3.0 TDI, in the first and second quarter of 2011 respectively. All engines are driven through a new, supremely smooth, 8-speed automatic transmission. The A8 is as nimble as it is luxurious. For such a large car it was superbly flat through the corners while city driving proved comfortable and serene.
Safety systems, too, are top notch. Aside from the usual array of airbags and traction control systems we have come to expect, a new system, dubbed Audi pre sense, has made its way into the A8. Dependent on the level of the system installed, Audi pre sense works in conjunction with the ESP sensors, Audi adaptive cruise control and Audi side assist to mitigate collisions.
When the system believes a crash is imminent, it closes the windows and sunroof while pretensioning the seatbelts. The upper backrest and the headrest are moved into a position that protects the head against possible whiplash and the pneumatic side bolsters are filled with air to secure the driver’s torso.
While pricing and standard features have yet to be confirmed for our market, we’re still a little unsure as to how well the A8 will do locally. While the models we drove were chock-full of features, most of them will almost certainly prove to be options and, unlike the 7 Series or C-Class, the A8’s styling doesn’t differentiate enough from its smaller siblings to show just how much money owners really have.
